A benefit cheat who failed to declare he was receiving a pension has narrowly avoided being sent to prison.

Edward Johnson fraudulently filled the Department of Work and Pension forms when he was applying for universal credit between May 2018 and August 2021.

Teesside Crown Court heard how he received almost £18,000 overpayment in benefits over the three-year period.

The 66-year-old was convicted of dishonestly failing to declare information to the DWP following a trail at magistrates’ court.

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Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, said the pensioner maintained that he had filled the forms in correctly but was convicted at the lower court after receiving £17,979.99 in benefits he wasn’t entitled to.

Amrit Jandoo, mitigating, said Johnson’s wife had died in 2011 and she had looked after the couple’s paperwork and finances up until her death.

He added: “He claimed it was in error when filling in the forms for the benefits. He maintains it was an honest mistake but accepts the verdict of the court.”

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Johnson, of Lamberd Road, Hartlepool, was given a 12-month community order and told to attend ten rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Recorder Lawrence McDonald said: “You re a man of 66 with no previous convictions therefore entitled to the benefit of your previous good character.

“It seems to me that this is not a case where the custody threshold has been passed and a community order would be an appropriate sentence.”

The defendant will appear in court again on December 18 when a confiscation hearing will take place to recover some or all of the money.