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Man fined £150 for £8k benefit fraud

Tom Rowley
28/ 6/2006

A HADFIELD man has admitted four charges of benefit fraud at Buxton Magistrates' Court.

Wayne Hardman, aged 48, of Bankbottom, was handed a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs of £150. The sentence reflected Hardman's financial difficulties.

Hardman, who failed to disclose he was working full time, fraudulently obtained housing benefit of over £2,600 and council tax benefit of nearly £400 between 16 August 2004 and 6 April 2005.

He also claimed incapacity benefit of over £3,800 and income support in excess of £930.

The offences were discovered when council officers, together with Department of Work and Pensions investigators, discovered Hardman had failed to disclose that he had started full-time work in August 2004 and later made a false statement that he was not working.

High Peak Council leader David Lomax said: "People who claim housing and council tax benefit from the council must provide the correct information about their working status and their income.

"The council will always pursue cases where the evidence suggests an offence has been committed, even where the person involved attempts to ignore or lie to the council. We will always pursue those who steal from the public purse."

In the past financial year the council recouped £103,791.20 in overpaid benefits from its investigations, sanctioned 52 people and prosecuted four claimants.

People who know of anyone who is falsely claiming housing benefit or council tax benefit can phone the council's dedicated fraud hotline on 01298 28433 in confidence.