A FLIXTON benefit cheat who falsely claimed more than £22,000 over a five year period has been handed a suspended prison sentence.

Alison Lett, of Irlam Road, was convicted of dishonestly obtaining employment support allowance from the department for work and pensions and housing and council tax benefit from Trafford Council amounting to £22,202.41.

The 58-year-old appeared at Trafford Magistrates Court on Friday, March 6.

Lett had claimed employment support allowance, housing and council tax benefit on the basis that she lived alone.

Investigations showed that she had made a number of false representations to the department for work and pensions and Trafford Council, by failing to declare that her partner was living with her. This resulted in an overpayment of benefit between November 2008 and April 2013.

She was sentenced to 16 weeks imprisonment, suspended for two years and placed under a curfew restriction for 16 weeks between 7pm to 7am.

In addition she was ordered to pay £400 towards the cost of the prosecution and pay a victim surcharge of £80.

Trafford Council and the DWP are recovering all of the monies that were obtained as a result of the offences from Lett.

Council counter fraud officers were alerted to the case as a result of information obtained from a partnership project with Greater Manchester Police, which indicated that she was living with her partner.

Executive Councillor Patrick Myers said: “Benefit fraud is something that the council will not tolerate.

“Those people who think that they will get away with illegally claiming benefits need to realise that they will not.

“To make sure we continue supporting the most vulnerable people within our communities, we will not hesitate to prosecute anyone we find to be making fraudulent claims.

“To avoid any problems, we urge people to make sure they advise us immediately if there are any changes in their circumstances which may impact on their eligibility to benefits."

If you suspect anyone of benefit fraud, contact Trafford Council on 0161 912 2852 or 0800 328 6340.