Two Chorley benefits have been named and shamed after being caught milking the system.
Darren Bound, 40, of Collingwood Road, Chorley, found himself in court for benefit fraud after he was contacted by investigators probing another claimant.
He pleaded guilty at South Ribble Magistrates' Court, Leyland, of falsely claiming more tha
n £5,000 in benefits.
The extra cash was paid in housing benefit, council tax benefit and income support.
The magistrates were told that a Chorley Council investigation officer contacted Bound in relation to another claimant who was under investigation.
He let it slip that the claimant was a fellow work colleague, however Bound himself was in receipt of benefits on the basis he was unemployed.
Although he tried to cover his tracks, a quick call to his employer confirmed that he had been in work for four months.
As he was in receipt of income support as well as housing and council tax benefit, he was prosecuted jointly by Chorley Council and the Department for Work and Pensions.
Bound was fined £195 and ordered to pay £100 costs and £15 victim surcharge.
Steps are being taken to recover the overpaid benefits in full.
In a separate case a Croston woman has pleaded guilty to falsely claiming more than £2,500 in housing and council tax benefit.
Patricia Welch, 49, of Pear Tree Road, appeared at South Ribble Magistrates' Court in Leyland.
The court heard that she failed to tell Chorley Council that she was in receipt of Tax Credits. Council investigators found out about the deception following a benefit data matching exercise.
She was sentenced to a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £75 costs.
ouncillor Kevin Joyce, Chorley Council's executive member (resources) said: "I would encourage anyone to claim their entitlement to benefit. However people need to play fair and only claim what is rightfully theirs.
"If anyone is tempted to falsely claim benefits, I would warn them to think twice. Like Mrs Welch you could end up with a criminal record for fraud on top of paying back the overpaid benefit."
Steps are being taken to recover the overpaid benefits in full.
