A FRAUDSTER from Crewe who falsely claimed almost £10,000 in benefits has been ordered to repay every penny.

Diane Scott, of Marple Crescent, Crewe, pleaded guilty at South and East Cheshire Magistrates Court on Wednesday, September 9, to obtaining housing benefit to which she was not entitled.

Scott, 51, had falsely claimed the benefits saying she was on a low income.

However, an investigation by Cheshire East Council’s benefit fraud investigation team discovered Scott had failed to declare her ownership of a property and the rental income she received.

In failing to declare this, she was overpaid state benefits totalling £9,174 over a period of two-and-a half-years.

Magistrates sentenced Scott to do 120 hours of unpaid community work and ordered her to pay prosecution costs of £550 and a £60 victim surcharge.

In addition, she will have to repay in full all the benefits she fraudulently received.

Cllr Les Gilbert, Cheshire East Council’s Cabinet member for communities, said: “Benefit fraud will not be tolerated.

“We are an enforcing Council and we are determined to stop fraudsters from helping themselves to money that belongs to law-abiding members of the public.

In a separate prosecution, Claire Clements, of Talke Road, Alsager, pleaded guilty at South and East Cheshire Magistrates Court, on Friday, September 11, to falsely receiving housing benefit, council tax benefit and income support totalling more than £30,000 to which she was not entitled.

Clements, 41, claimed benefits on the basis that she was on a low income.

However, investigators found she had received a financial settlement payment of £42,000 in June 2010, which she had not declared to benefit officials.

In failing to declare this, Clements fraudulently received £31,554 in state benefits in total from Cheshire East Council, Newcastle-under-Lyme Council and the Department for Work and Pensions.

Magistrates sentenced Clements to 24 weeks imprisonment suspended for 12 months and ordered her to do 120 hours’ unpaid community work.

She was also ordered to pay £701 court costs and a £80 victims’ surcharge and will have to repay in full the overpaid benefits.

Cllr Gilbert added: “The defendants in these cases thought they could get away with claiming benefits they were not entitled to – but they were making a very big mistake and will find themselves worse off as a result.

“They have ended up with criminal convictions for a serious offence of dishonesty and now each face a big bill to repay the money they have fraudulently claimed.

“We have a zero-tolerance policy towards benefit fraud because we are determined to ensure that the benefits system works for people who really need help.”