Five men convicted of benefit fraud at Belfast Court

Five men have been convicted at Belfast Magistrates’ Court for claiming benefits they were not entitled to.

A Belfast man (21) was given 50 hours community service and ordered to pay court costs of £22 for wrongful encashment of Jobseekers Allowance totalling £79.

A Carrickfergus man (31) was given a 12 month probation order and ordered to pay court costs of £22 for wrongful encashment of Income Support totalling £199.

A Newtownabbey man (52) was given a £300 fine for failure to declare work while claiming Income Support and Rates Relief totalling £2,838.

Another Belfast man (54) was given a four month custodial sentence suspended for two years for living together while claiming Incapacity Benefit, Income Support and Housing Benefit totalling £5,095.

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

A third Belfast man (22) was given a £150 fine for failure to declare work while claiming Jobseekers Allowance totalling £102. A compensation order was granted for the full amount.