Leyland benefit cheat defrauds thousands

1:01pm Tuesday 8th July 2008

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A Leyland man narrowly missed being sent to prison after pleading guilty to obtaining more than £27,000 in state benefits he was not entitled to.

Mr Andrew Waddington, 31, of Herbert Street, pleaded guilty to four charges of failing to notify South Ribble Borough Council that his wife was working while he was claiming Income Support, Council Tax and Housing Benefit.

Some of the offences lasted up to almost five years.

As a result of Mr Waddington’s failure to notify the authorities of his wife’s employment, he received £16,574.10 in Income Support, £9,244.24 in Housing Benefit and £1,741.19 in Council Tax Benefit.

Mr Waddington was sentenced to 180 days’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, when he appeared before Preston Magistrates’ Court on 13 June.

Magistrates imposed a daily curfew order on him between 7pm and 7am for four months and ordered him to pay £75 in costs.

Councillor Michael Green, Cabinet Member for Corporate and Support Services, said: “South Ribble Borough Council takes very seriously people who try to claim benefits that they are not entitled to.

“We urge and remind people that are claiming benefits to tell us if their circumstances or their partner’s circumstances change in any way which might change their entitlement to benefits.

"It is important that benefits only go to those people that are entitled to them.

“The Council operates a 24-hour, 7 day-a-week fraud hotline - 0800 0 56 56 03 - where anyone who suspects someone of claiming benefits to which they are not entitled can call and leave details anonymously.

"Alternatively, callers can speak in strict confidence to one of the Council’s trained investigation officers on 01772 625 287, between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

"I would urge residents to call us, as we wish to stop benefit fraud.

"The money being stolen by the fraudsters can then be spent on those residents genuinely in need or on improving services in our local community.”