Jail for £58k benefit thief

A benefits cheat pocketed almost £60,000 over 17 years after falsely claiming his wife was a carer for their disabled daughter.

Bolton Crown Court heard how, in 1989, George Field submitted an application for carers allowance in his wife’s name, without her knowing.

In reality, their daughter was being cared for by her partner, who was already claiming carers’ allowance for looking after her.

The fraud resulted in Field being paid £39,102 he was not entitled to.

David Toal, prosecuting, said Field also went on to also wrongly claim income support even though he and his wife were working, bringing him an extra £19,829.

Mr Toal said when Field, aged 55, from Great Lever, first submitted a claim for income support in July, 2004, it was genuine.

But when his wife, Alice, got a job as a part-time care assistant at a residential home in October, 2005, earn- ing up to £730 a month, he carried on claiming.

Between July, 2010, and December, 2010, Field also had a job.

Field, who has a criminal record for theft and dishonesty, pleaded guilty to false accounting, failing to notify a change in circumstances and making false representation to obtain benefit.

He had a criminal record, but seemingly no one checked up over all those years.

Thomas McKail, defending, said Field was a labourer until he developed epilepsy. He added Field had to pay for six funerals, had young children to support and turned to benefit fraud out of necessity.

Field was jailed for 15 months.