Benefit cheat given community order

A benefit cheat who failed to declare he was working full time has pleaded guilty to three charges of dishonesty.

Trevor Paull, 40, previously of Manchester Old Road, Middleton, fraudulently claimed Income Support, Incapacity Benefit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit to the value of £5,166.39.

An investigation led by Rochdale Borough Council’s fraud team in partnership with the Department for Works and Pensions found that Paull had claimed benefits while working between dates in August and December 2010.

He was interviewed under caution and admitted he had been working whilst claiming sickness related benefits and help towards his rent and council tax and had failed to declare his earnings.

As a result of proceedings taken by Rochdale Council’s Legal Department, Paull appeared at Bury and Rochdale Magistrates Court on 21 May 2012 and pleaded guilty to four offences of dishonesty under the Social Security Administration Act 1992 in a case brought the council’s Legal and Democratic Service team.

An 80 hour community order was imposed by the court, to be carried out within 12 months. In addition Paull was ordered to pay costs of £571.00 and he will also have to repay the £5166.39 he defrauded from the council and the Department for Work and Pensions.

Councillor Farooq Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Finance at Rochdale Borough Council, said:
“The overwhelming majority of residents behave in an honest way and it is totally unacceptable for anyone to defraud the system in this way.

“We will continue to target benefit cheats to ensure that public money can be directed to those who are genuinely entitled to it.”