[A] man who received an inheritance of £25k, while receiving housing benefit and employment support allowance payments has appeared before magistrates in Carlisle and admitted he dishonestly failed to notify Carlisle City Council and the Department for Work and Pensions promptly of a change in circumstances after he received a family inheritance and had capital above the prescribed limit, which he knew would affect his benefit entitlement
The court was told Graham Paul Blackledge, 62 of Melbourne Road, Carlisle, received Housing Benefit payments between March 31, 2014 and March 20, 2017 and Employment Support Allowance between March 26, 2014 and March 21, 2017.
The court was told he received an overpayment in benefits totalling £22,618.82, he failed to declare he’d received capital of £25k from an inheritance two-months after receiving benefit payments.
He will be sentenced by a judge at Carlisle Crown Court on February 9, a pre-sentence report was requested by the magistrates to be prepared by the Probation Service, the court was further informed that an application under the Proceeds of Crime Act will be made at the next hearing; he was granted unconditional bail until that hearing.
