Benefit cheats obtained £13,000

THREE benefit cheats who between them fraudulently obtained more than £13,000 benefit have appeared before magistrates at Warrington.
After they had been dealt with, Adrian Webster, the borough council’s benefits manager, said: “Deliberately withholding information that affects your claim is stealing. That’s why we are targeting benefit thieves.”
Kim Johnson, 35 of Anderson Close, Padgate, pleaded guilty to not declaring that her partner lived with her for the period July-November last year.
During this time she was overpaid £1243 income support, £1570 housing benefits and council tax benefit of £289 making a total of £3102.
She was sentenced to a two month curfew order between the hours of 7pm-7am, ordered to pay £350 costs and to repay the overpayment.
Katie Andrew, 27, of Albany Rd, Lymm, pleaded guilty to not declaring that her partner lived with her between June 2008-June 2009. Over that year she was overpaid income support of £2216, housing benefit of £4479 and council tax benefit of £499, making a total of £7194.
She was sentenced to a four month curfew order between the hours of 7pm-7am, ordered to pay £250 costs and to repay the overpayment.
Barry Manning, 57 of Oak Villa Farm, Lymm, pleaded guilty to three offences in relation to housing and council tax benefits.
The court heard in May 2009 and June and July last year he made applications to claim for housing and council tax benefits, each time failing to declare that he was in receipt of a private pension from Tameside Council.
As a result he was overpaid housing benefit amounting to £3348.22 and council tax benefit amounting to £254.80, making a total of £3603.02. He was fined £400 and was ordered to repay the overpayment and costs of £362.50.