THREE people were arrested on suspicion of benefit fraud in a council and police raid of two Croydon homes early yesterday morning.
Both households are suspected of falsely claiming their marriages have separated, entitling the women to claim more benefits.
One of the houses targeted is home to a family with two children in their early teens. The mother, 37, has told the council that she and her husband, 35, are no longer with each other and, despite still living together, lead separate lives.
Croydon Council's investigations officer Gail Campbell said this means the father's income would not be included in the mother's benefit claim, entitling her and the two children to more income support.
The council hoped to pounce early and catch the family in their morning routine.
On arriving at the house at 6.30am, a dozen police and riot officers take their positions around the property before pounding on the door.
The mother answers and, within moments, the officers have swept through the house. As soon as they have secured the property, council officers look for evidence the parents are still living as a couple.
"We expect to see Mr has spent the night in the same bed as Mrs," said Ms Campbell. "We'll be looking for photos and things like his clothing lying about and where his belongings are kept.
"We don't expect to find he's slept on the sofa," she added.
As this is happening, another police team knock on the door of the second couple, a husband aged 70 and his 65-year-old wife, suspected of almost 15 years of benefit fraud.
Again, officers knock and enter the property to arrest the couple, before council officers search the property.
Officers are also looking for documents like bank statements that suggest the couples are still together.
Mary Clark, from the department of work and pensions (DWP), is working with Ms Campbell on the second search.
She said in their pension applications the second couple, who both claim state pensions, state they live together but the wife has not declared that her husband works full time.
But, according to Ms Campbell, the wife claims to live alone on her council forms, and her husband is not mentioned at all.
"You tend to find people who forget, for some reason, that they have married and got a husband sitting on the sofa," said Ms Campbell.
By 7.50am, the husband and wife have been arrested on suspicion of benefit fraud and taken to Croydon Police Station for questioning.
The father from the first raid was also arrested on suspicion of benefit fraud and possessing cannabis.
See all the pictures of the morning's operation here.
