Two Sale benefit thieves sentences

Trafford Council has secured two convictions for benefit fraud amounting to more than £16,000.

In the first case, Reginald Vickers, aged 66, from Sale, was convicted of dishonestly obtaining housing and council tax benefit amounting to £10,552.

Vickers pleaded guilty to failing to report a change in his circumstances to Trafford Council’s benefits departments once he began receiving an occupational pension in June 2008 and had also received a lump sum of £30,500 at the same time.

As a result he was overpaid benefits between June 2008 and June 2011. He was sentenced at Trafford Magistrates’ Court on January 13 to four weeks custody suspended for two years and ordered to pay costs of £275. In addition, Vickers is required to repay all monies that he falsely claimed from the council.

The second case, heard on the same day, involved Sandra Schofield, aged 64, also from Sale.

Schofield was convicted of dishonestly obtaining pension credit and housing and council tax benefit amounting to £6,946. She pleaded guilty to failing to report a change in her circumstances to the DWP and Trafford Council’s benefits departments after her partner had moved in with her. As a result she has been overpaid benefits between January 2010 and March 2011.

She was sentenced to four weeks custody suspended for two years and ordered to pay cost of £375. She must also pay all the money back to the DWP and the council.