TWO benefit cheats have been ordered to repay more than £6,000 they had falsely claimed.
The pair appeared before Warrington Magistrates Court and admitted falsely obtaining housing benefit and council tax benefit.
Andrew Stubbs, 39, formerly of Fothergill Street, Warrington falsely claimed housing benefit of £2,809 and council tax benefit of £634.
He had failed to declare that his partner was in employment between November 2007 and June 2008.
In addition to being ordered to repay the money, he received a 120-hour community punishment order.
In a separate case Debbie Billinge, 38, of Vulcan Close, Padgate, was charged with failing to declare that her partner lived with her between May and December 2009. She was overpaid housing benefit of £2,312 and council tax benefit of £393.
She was fined £100 in addition to being ordered to repay the benefit.
After the hearing, Adrian Webster, the 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.”
Benefit cheats must repay £6,000
00 Comments
Share.
About Author
Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
