Ex-soldier pleads guilty to fraud
A 58-year-old ex-soldier from Chorley has pleaded guilty to four counts of falsely obtaining a total of more than £11,000 in benefits over a six year period.
The extra cash was claimed from Chorley Council in Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.
Alan James Cobham, of Steeley Lane, claimed the benefits on the basis that his only source of income was his Incapacity Benefit.
However, he had also been in receipt of a war disablement pension and an armed forces occupational pension after leaving the Army because of injury – neither of which he had declared on his claims form, South Ribble Magistrates Court was told.
Mr Cobham also failed to declare the bank account into which these pensions were paid.
The information had come to light following a national data matching exercise, the National Fraud Initiative. Information from the Council's benefit system was matched with data held by other public authorities including the Armed Forces Pension Agency.
Councillor Kevin Joyce, Chorley Council's Executive Member for Transformation said: "Chorley Council has, for many years, used its discretionary powers to disregard war pensions, war widows and war disablement pensions when calculating entitlement to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. These pensions are paid when a serving member of the British armed forces is killed or wounded.
"By disregarding these pensions, ex-service personnel and their families are more likely to qualify for help with their rent and Council Tax. However the extra benefit paid under this scheme is not funded by central government, the cost is borne directly out of Council funds.
"But Mr Cobham's occupational pension, like any pension from a former employer, is not disregarded and should have been declared. Mr Cobham had several opportunities to tell the Council about his income but he did not.
"Now as well as having to repay the overpaid benefit, Mr Cobham has a criminal record for benefit fraud."
Mr Cobham was given a two-year conditional discharge. No costs were awarded. He is currently repaying the overpayment.
