Six convicted of benefit fraud at Belfast court

Six people were convicted at Belfast Crown Court today for claiming benefits they were not entitled to.

A Belfast man was given 75 hours community service and ordered to pay £34 court costs for failure to declare employment while claiming Income Support and Housing Benefit totalling £3,728.

A second Belfast man was given a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £46 court costs for failure to declare capital while claiming Income Support and Jobseekers Allowance totalling £18,250.

A third Belfast man was given 80 hours community service and ordered to pay £49 court costs for failure to declare employment while claiming Income Support, Carers Allowance and Housing Benefit totalling £4,597.

A fourth Belfast man was given 200 hours community service and ordered to pay £37 court costs for duplicate encashment of Income Support totalling £584.

A Belfast woman was fined £450 and ordered to pay £44 court costs for duplicate encashment of Jobseekers Allowance totalling £197.

All are also required to repay the money they wrongfully obtained to the Social Security Agency.

Another Belfast woman was given 12 month conditional discharge for failure to declare capital while claiming Income Support totalling £12,999. She had repaid the money wrongfully obtained.

This brings to 351 the total number of successful prosecutions this year.