Benefit cheats claimed £19,000

TWO benefit cheats who between them falsely claimed more than £19,000 at Warrington have been handed out communities penalties and ordered to repay the money.
Avonna Threlfall, 57, of Windsor Drive, Grappenhall pleaded guilty at Warrington Crown Court to benefit fraud in respect of council tax benefit and job seekers allowance. She failed to declare that she had been receiving maintenance payments from her ex-husband.
As a result, she was overpaid £3,932 job seekers allowance and £1,948 council tax benefit.
She was sentenced to a 12 month community penalty involving 100 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay costs of £1,200. The overpayment will be recovered in full.
Warren Latham, 48, of Valley Court, Padgate, pleaded guilty to benefit fraud in respect of housing benefit and council tax benefit.
The court was told he failed to declare that his partner resided with him and was in paid employment.
He was overpaid a total of £13,146 in housing and council tax benefit.
Latham was sentenced to a community penalty of 120 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay costs of £500. The overpayment will be recovered in full.
After the hearing, Adrian Webster, the borough council’s benefits manager, said:
“Deliberately withholding information that affects your claim is stealing. That’s why we are targeting benefit thieves. We’re closing in on benefit thieves with every means at our disposal.”