A disabled man cheated the taxpayer out of more than £40,000 by failing to declare he was receiving payments of more than £400 a month from his former employer’s insurers.
James Benson was given a six month prison sentence at Bolton Crown Court, suspended for two years after admitting five counts of benefit fraud.
Stephen McNally, prosecuting, said until November 1997 Benson worked for Bury Electroplating Company, Radcliffe, but then became too ill to work.
The court heard that Benson blamed his illness on chemicals at work and unsuccessfully tried to sue the company, which is now known as BEP Surface Technologies Ltd.
The company denied being responsible for Benson’s illness, but did have an income protection scheme, run by its insurers Legal and General, which paid him more than £400 a month after tax.
Mr McNally said in March 1998 Benson became eligible to receive the payments but did not start receiving the cash until August because of an administrative delay.
In March 1998 Benson submitted claims to Bolton Council for housing and council tax benefits and made a claim for income support. Over the subsequent years Benson never mentioned his payments from the insurers on any claim forms.
His crime only came to light in March 2009 when he admitted in interview he had concealed the insurance payments. He said that, as he paid tax on the income, the government would know about the payments anyway. A joined up government would.
In total he was wrongly paid £30,332.74 in council and housing benefits and £11,356.80 in income support.
Michael Knowles, defending, said Benson, from Farnworth, was a man of previous good character.
Judge William Morris also imposed a three month 9pm to 7am curfew on Benson.
The court was told Benson is gradually paying all the money back.
0 comments:
Post a Comment