[M]agistrates in Carlisle were told how a 64-year-old man from Longtown claimed Employment Support Allowance while he had over £130k in a savings and investment bank account.
David Martin of Liddle Road, Longtown, pleaded guilty to a charge of fraud in he dishonestly failed to notify the Department for Works and Pensions that he had capital in excess of the prescribed upper limit.
The court was told he received benefit payments between May 5, 2016 and February 8, 2017 which totalled £3,246.08, to which he was not entitled, Martin said he did not realise this investment and savings account had to be taken into account when claiming the ESA benefit , he apologised for the error and told the court he had paid back this overpayment to the department in full.
He was placed on a Community Order, in that he will be under an electronically tagged house curfew for 4-weeks between 7pm and 7am, seven days a week he has to pay court costs totalling £170.
