Ian Bevins pleaded guilty to five charges of benefit fraud, totalling more than £23,700 for housing and council tax benefit.
He did not reveal having ‘significant savings’ that could have been used to pay rent and council tax.
Bevins was sentenced to a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, 250 hours of unpaid work, and ordered to pay £560 costs. He has since repaid the over-payment in full.
Robert Matthews admitted dishonestly making a false representation to claim benefits totalling more than £11,500.
He also failed to declare the full extent of his savings.
Matthews was made subject to a community order for 12 months, including 160 hours of unpaid work, and ordered to pay costs of £355.
He has paid the benefit money back in full.
Coun Graham Vincent, SLDC’s portfolio holder for resources, said:
The council will continue to take a tough stance on benefit fraud.
We will always prosecute where deliberate fraud is uncovered, as that is only fair to the vast majority of people who are law-abiding council tax payers.
If people have made genuine mistakes and are having problems understanding the benefit system, they should talk to the council, or one of the advice agencies and get help as quickly as possible.
People caught cheating the benefit system face an unlimited fine, or up to seven years’ imprisonment, or both.
- A fair enough distinction, and this site does not publicise cases of people who seem to have become genuinely confused.
Benefit thieves do it for the money. They should know they will have to pay back twice what they stole.
That would probably have deterred these two.
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