British Steel pensioner who fiddled thousands of pounds in benefits for 10 years avoids jail

A British Steel pensioner who fiddled thousands of pounds in benefits for 10 years was given a suspended prison sentence yesterday.

Graham George, 66, was overpaid £28,841 in housing benefit and council tax by Redcar and Cleveland Council when he was on incapacity benefit through ill health.

But he did not declare that since April 1997 he had been receiving a British Steel pension although he thought that the council was being generous, Teesside Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor Victoria Lamballe said that the council received information in October 2013 about his work pension.

He had submitted a benefits claim application in November 2003 and he was sent annual forms until July 2013 to confirm that there had been no change in his circumstances.

He had received overpayments of £24,000-plus in housing benefit and more than £3,000 in council tax benefit.

Miss Lamballe said that George had since repaid over £4,000 to the council who were recovering money directly from him.

Amy Dixon, defending, said that George had no previous convictions and that his offending had come as a surprise to those who know him.

She added: “He is a man who is well-respected in the local community, who has acted in a way that he is embarrassed of.

“He maintains that he did not complete the forms, that they were completed by a representative of the council, but he does appreciate that the amount he was getting over the 10 years was generous to say the least, and he did not query that with the council.”

“He was told at the conclusion of the interview that he would be informed within three to four weeks whether a charge would be brought against him, and he did not receive a summons until nine months later.

“That has been punishment in itself for a man of good character. He is a man who lives a very simple lifestyle, and as a result of his ill health he is unable to work.”

The judge told George that it was a tragedy to find him in his situation before the court.

Recorder Michael Slater said: “It seems to me that over the years you have been an extremely hardworking, conscientious family man and through no fault of your own 20 years ago you fell into extremely strained financial circumstances and you now find yourself in a similar position having to repay substantial amounts of money.

“I think you have suffered enough health-wise and reputation-wise through these proceedings and that you have been punished enough.”

George, of Cedar Grove, Loftus, was given a four month jail sentence suspended for 12 months after he pleaded guilty to two offences of making false representation to obtain benefits.