A MAN was jailed for nine months after falsely claiming more than £62,000 benefits.
John Hodgkins, aged 50, of Malvern Meadows, Blackmore Park, admitted failing to declare savings above the £8,000 limit while claiming means-tested benefits.
He claimed £42,664.85 income support, £15,152.75 housing benefit and £4,655.09 council tax benefit, Hereford Crown Court heard on Monday.
Hodgkins was caught out by a new computer system that matches data from bank records to information held by job centres. He has since repaid the housing and council tax benefits. A confiscation hearing is scheduled for November to try to recover the rest.
Malvern Hills District Council and the Department of Work and Pensions worked together on the case. Coun Graham Myatt, MHDC's portfolio holder for benefits and revenues, said: "The council has a clear policy of pursuing people who cheat the benefit system."
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