He had money but he stole ours too

Ian Musgrove (66) of Arnhem Close, Eaton Socon pleaded guilty to two charges of claiming council tax benefit and pension credit between 2007 and 2011. The court heard that Musgrove had claimed pension credit in 2007 declaring that he held capital of around £12,000, and claimed council tax benefit in 2008 declaring capital of £7,000. Investigators from the council conducting exercises to track down claimants who had more capital than they had declared found that Musgrove held capital in more than a dozen bank, building society and ISA accounts between 2007 and 2011 totalling more than £60,000. As a result he had been overpaid £12,007 in various benefits that he was never entitled to claim.

David Potter for Musgrove said that his client had co-operated with the investigation, paid all the sums overpaid in full and was of previous good character. Musgrove received a 12 month Community Order with a requirement to complete 80 hours unpaid work and pay the council's full costs of £580.

• Benefit thieves do it for the money. They should know they will have to pay back twice what they stole, and that they will get no benefits until they have. A confiscation order should be made immediately.
  
  Any benefit thieves who don't go to prison should also have to do community service.