Former benefits processor admitted £109,000 fiddle (From Halesowen News)

Former benefits processor admitted £109,000 fiddle

2:42pm Thursday 20th September 2012 in News

A BENEFITS cheat from Oldbury - who once worked for the department - fiddled more then £109,000 after failing to declare his wife was working, a court heard.

Disabled father-of-four Barry Snelleksz claimed a string of benefits for more than five years without telling the authorities his wife was working in a betting office.

Wolverhampton Crown Court was told the 51-year-old had been on incapacity benefits for 10 years following an injury, but what started off as a genuine claim continued after his wife took the job.

Snelleksz, of Wolverhampton Road, who worked as a benefits processor for nine years, admitted three charges of cheating the Revenue and was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years. He must also obey a six month curfew between 6pm and 8am.

Benjamin Close, prosecuting, said the total overpayment made by the Department of Work and Pensions to Snelleksz of £109,804 was slowly being clawed back by deductions from his current benefits.

He claimed he needed the money because of financial problems, which were made worse when his £10,500 mobility car was stolen and his insurance company failed to settle his claim.