Man, 63, falsely claimed £20,000

A 63-year-old Warrington man falsely claimed more than £20,000 in benefit, magistrates were told.
Alan Parfitt pleaded guilty at Runcorn Magistrates’ Court to six offences of benefit fraud.
The court was told Parfitt, of Longshaw Street, Dallam, obtained a total of £20,491 before he was caught.
He claimed but failed to declare he received a private pension.
Between October 2000 and September 2011 he falsely claimed £4,815 council tax benefit and £15,676 housing benefit from Warrington Borough Council.
Parfitt was give a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, placed under an 8pm-8am curfew, tagged, for 12 weeks and ordered to pay back the money.
After the hearing, Adrian Webster, the council’s benefits and exchequer services manager, said: “Every day in the UK over 200 benefit thieves are caught. The clear message is – if you commit benefit fraud you will be caught.”