Benefit payback
Published 9 Jan 2012 09:30
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A BENEFIT cheat has been ordered to pay back more than £10,000 and carry out community work.
Robert Kenny, of Deansfield Close, Maidenhead, pleaded guilty to three offences of failing to give prompt notification of a change affecting entitlement, after fraudulently claiming more than £13,000 in benefits as a single person while living with a partner.
The offences resulted in overpayments of £6,798.80 in income support, £5,713.38 in housing benefit and £1,077.89 in council tax benefit from April 11, 2010 to July 25, 2011 - a total of £13,590.07.
At Reading Crown Court on Wednesday last week, he was sentenced to 160 hours' community payback to be completed within 12 months.
The 43-year-old was also ordered to pay £10,784.87 through a compensation order direct to the courts. The remaining balance will be paid to the Royal Borough.
The case arose as a result of an anonymous referral to the Beat The Cheat hotline.
Cllr Richard Kellaway, cabinet member for finance, said: "Our benefit fraud team is dedicated to recovering the money fraudulently obtained by a dishonest few and will pursue it to the courts if needs be."
If you suspect a benefit cheat, call the council's confidential line on 0500 353300.
This article appeared in Royal Borough Observer 09 Jan 12
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