Aristocrat Claimed £18k in Benefits While Renting Out £1.1m London Home

An aristocrat has been charged with claiming £18,000 in housing and Council Tax benefits while renting out her £1.1m London property to tenants.

Vera-Brigitte Bilek Von Sternberg, born in Vienna, is accused of keeping a bank account secret and stating the tenants were her friends and family.

Vera-Brigitte, of Notting Hill, said she was not guilty when appearing at Hammersmith Magistrates’ Court this week.

She is a freelance arts and performing arts critic and daughter of a former Cultural Attaché to the Middle East. She moved to Chelsea in 1990 with her daughter.

Vera-Brigitte became a head of department at two educational institutions. She is also a member of Chelsea Old Church and has been elected onto the boards of charitable trusts as a fundraiser.

She was bailed to appear at Isleworth Crown Court for a preliminary hearing on 26^th May after the court declined jurisdiction due to the severity of the case.

All of the money Vera-Brigitte owed has been returned to the local authority. She is charged with two counts of fraud by false representation.

It is believed that on 17^th September 2009 and 13^th July 2011, Vera-Brigitte made a false representation in a housing benefit and Council Tax benefit application for Ivy Cottage in West Brompton. She said that she had no bank account. In fact, Vera-Brigitte had a Barclays account.

She is also charged with making a false representation on 4^th February 2013 when she claimed for benefits on the same property by informing the council she did not have subtenants, just guests.

Vera-Brigitte claimed to have no income besides Pension Credit and Disability Living Allowance (DLA), however, she had a number of tenants who paid rent between 16^th September 2012 and 18^th September 2013.

She also faces two counts of dishonesty for failing to notify a change in circumstances; she was renting out two homes on Uverdale Road between 2012-13.

Furthermore, she is charged with dishonesty for failing to inform the council that she had a tenancy agreement with Anchor Trust and had moved out of Ivy Cottage into her current home.