Employees of Action 4 Employment (A4e), a public service provider involved in the UK government’s Welfare to Work programme, are being sentenced for defrauding taxpayers of almost £300,000.

A4e is the second-largest supplier to Welfare for Work, a £5 billion operation that is intended to help tens of thousands of jobless UK citizens find sustainable employment.

Ten of the company’s staff have been found guilty of falsifying files, forging signatures and lying about successfully landing individuals jobs, all in order to hit targets and receive extra bonuses.

Four of the defendants have been convicted for fraud, while a further six pled guilty from the start of the case, 13 weeks ago. The 167 fraudulent claims cost the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) £288,595 between 2008 and 2011.

The Independent has reported that A4e has been ‘dogged by fraud allegations and scandals but still has scores of Government contracts.’

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