article_snippet: A couple accused of claiming £42,500 in benefits while sending A couple accused of claiming £42,500 in benefits while sending their children to a top private school and living in a £1,950 a month house children to a top private school and living in a £1,950 a month house were cleared today.
article_snippet: Cleared: Sarah and Leslie Grant were accused of claiming £42,000 of benefits while getting an income from businesses and £50,000 in the bank - but the DWP the DWP lost a series of important letters, collapsing case .
article_snippet: Sarah and Leslie Grant had been accused of falsely claiming £42,500, consisting of £19,000 of pension benefit, £19,000 of housing benefit and £4,500 of council tax benefit to fund Sarah and Leslie Grant lifestyle.
article_snippet: Leslie Grant, also received a £40,000 payment from Leslie Grant parents and was drawing income as a director of three companies during the time Leslie Grant and husband Leslie, 67, were claiming benefits, Gloucester Crown Court heard.
article_snippet: This was received while Mrs Grant got money from Mrs Grant mum, there was income from the pair's businesses and business account were being used for personal expenditure, it was said.
article_snippet: Prosecutors also say Prosecutors had around £50,000 in the bank, but today a second forensic accountant told Gloucester Crown Court Leslie Grant felt that the Grants had no income entering Prosecutors bank accounts.
article_snippet: Mr Grant, 67, had been receiving pension credit since November 2007, despite running his wife's companies, Hadleigh Partnership, Hadleigh Development and Sarafino Ltd, prosecutors claim.
article_snippet: Investigations into their affairs began when questions were raised about how Investigations into their affairs were able to pay £1,950 a month rent with just £775 a month housing allowance.
article_snippet: Mrs Grant was questioned by benefit officials in May 2010 and said that Mrs Grant parents had paid the rent shortfalls and school fees.
article_snippet: Neil Ward told that £40,000 of that had come from Mrs Grant's mother.
article_snippet: The defence argued that The defence therefore counted as a gift, but when prosecutor, Tara Wolfe, asked the witness: 'would a gift of £40,000 be eligible for pension credit?' the witness responded: 'I believe so'.
article_snippet: Mr and Mrs Grant both deny falsely claiming pension credits and housing and council tax benefit without declaring Mr and Mrs Grant both had other income.
article_snippet: Mrs Gregory also argued that the £40,000 given to Sarah Grant by Mrs Gregory mother was clearly a loan and did not count as income.
article_snippet: I don't believe They were receiving any income. 
article_snippet: I understood the money to be a short term loan from Mrs Grant's mother to get Mrs Grant's mother back on Mrs Grant's mother feet.'
highlights_snippet: Sarah and Leslie Grant are on trial for alleged £42,000 benefit fraud .
  
highlights_snippet: Couple accused of falsely claiming handouts while paying school fees .
  