Benefit cheat who told authorities she only had £50 in bank account received £22,000 she was not entitled to

A benefit cheat who told the authorities she had £50 in a bank account was later found to have been overpaid by more than £22,000 in benefits, a court heard.

Linda Pope, 60, received a total of £22,345.16 more than she should have done, because she failed to declare savings which she had accrued.

Manchester Crown Court heard that Pope, from Eccles, had received employment support allowance, formerly known as income support, since May 1998.

She was also in receipt of housing benefit and council tax benefit since October 2006.

Prosecutors said that she had a duty to notify the authorities of any change in her circumstances which would affect her entitlement to benefits.

Pope failed to tell them that she had an ISA worth more than £15,000, and that she had deposited £2,000 into a bank account.

She also put a further £1,000 into another bank account.

Pope's barrister said that she has voluntarily agreed to pay back £45 a month (STEVE ALLEN)

In a phone call with the authorities, Pope told them that she only had a Natwest bank account with £50 in it.

But prosecutors said that her ISA was worth about £19,000 at the time.

She later received more than £26,000 in probate, and withdrew £20,000 in cash.

Pope was arrested and accepted failing to declare the money, but claimed she didn't realise she needed to.

Over a period of six years and six months, Pope received benefits of £22,345.16 to which she wasn't entitled to.

Defending, Paul Hodgkinson said that Pope has voluntarily agreed to pay back £45 a month.

He said it was a 'tragic state of affairs' for a woman of Pope's age to appear in a crown court, having never done so before and having no previous convictions.

She has caring responsibilities and suffers from health problems herself, Mr Hodgkinson said.

Sentencing, Judge David Stockdale QC said he was satisfied that the proceeds of the benefit fraud had not been spent by Pope to fund a 'lavish lifestyle'.

But the judge told her: "This is serious offending.

"When benefits such as this are handed out to those who act fraudulently, then there is less benefits available to those who genuinely need them."

Pope, of Trevor Road, Eccles, pleaded guilty to making a false representation to obtain a benefit, and two counts of fraud.

She was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years.