Benefit cheats fined £2,000

MAGISTRATES at Warrington handed out fines totalling nearly £2,000 when three benefit cheats who between them had falsely claimed nearly £12,000 appeared before them.
They also ordered the offenders to repay the money they had wrongly received.
After the hearing, Adrian Webster, Warrington Borough Council’s benefits manager, said: “All benefit theft is crime. There are no exceptions. People who knowingly withhold information or deliberately fail to report a change in their circumstances are benefit thieves. It is not ‘playing the game’ – it is breaking the law.”
Mark Dignam, 47, of Myrtle Grove, Latchford, declared himself to be living alone when in fact he lived with his partner who was in full time employment. He was overpaid housing benefit, council tax benefit and job seekers allowance totalling £5,110.
He pleaded guilty to benefit fraud and was fined £1,200, ordered to pay £100 costs, £15 victim support surcharge and ordered to repay the overpayment.
Leslie Colbourne, 54, Guildford Close, Padgate, failed to declare his own annuity, his wife’s occupational pension and also the fact that he owned a property in Spain from which he received rental income.
He was overpaid housing benefit and council tax benefit totalling £3,603 and was fined £200 for each offence, ordered to pay £100 towards costs and £15 victim support surcharge, and also to repay the overpayment.
Phillip Greenway, 38, Oldham Street, Warrington failed to notify the council when he moved away from his claim address at Gladstone Mews and continued to receive his housing benefit. He also failed to declare that he had commenced work.
As a result, he was overpaid housing benefit totalling £3,009.
He was fined £500, ordered to pay £100 towards costs and £15 victim support surcharge and ordered to repay the overpayment.