Benefit cheat falsely claimed over £18,000

A benefit cheat who falsely claimed over £18,000 has been ordered to carry out unpaid work.

Lindsay Cleminshaw, 30, of Hilda Street, Heywood, pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining benefit payments after failing to notify Rochdale Borough Council and the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) that she was living with her partner who was in full time employment.

She had received housing benefit, council tax benefit, and income support payments totalling £18,870 over two years which she wasn’t entitled to.

A joint investigation was launched after an anonymous referral was received by the Benefit Fraud Hotline, and Miss Cleminshaw admitted the offences during an interview under caution.

At Rochdale Magistrates Court she was sentenced to a Community Punishment Order and will have to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work, in addition to repaying £12,329 to the council and £6,441 to the DWP.

Councillor Farooq Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Finance said: “This serves as a warning to others who are withholding information in order to dishonestly receive benefits they are not entitled to. They can be sure we will continue to investigate and prosecute deliberate fraudsters.”