A HUSBAND and wife fiddled more than £33,000 in benefits after failing to reveal they were living in a house in Oldbury owned by their son.

Aslam and Mafooz Begum also failed to inform the Department of Work and Pensions that their daughter, who lived with them, was employed.

The couple, both aged 59, of Victoria Road, admitted benefit fraud which Wolverhampton Crown Court heard had been deliberate and committed over a significant period of time.

They were each sentenced to 10 months in prison suspended for 18 months. Aslam was also ordered to carry out 100 hours unpaid work in the community and told Begum she must obey a three month curfew between the hours of 9pm and 7am.

Mark Jackson, prosecuting, said between April 2005 and May 2011 they fraudulently picked up housing and council tax benefits totalling £33,232 They submitted their claims on the basis that neither they, nor their children, were related to their landlord when in fact he was their son.

Mr Jackson said they also failed to declare that their daughter, who worked full-time for the NHS, lived at the house, which would have significantly impacted on their ability to claim benefits.

The shamed couple, who are already taking steps to repay the money, will face a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing when their assets could be seized to clear outstanding monies.