Fraudster Alan Surrey pocketed £38,000 in benefits while working as a door-to-door collector and care worker - despite claiming he was too unfit to have a job.
The 64-year-old received the public handouts over a 10-year period. But he was busted in 2016 after investigators from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) carried out surveillance on the defendant.
Undercover officers filmed him - on three occasions in April and May 2016 - walking without a stick and at a normal pace.
Now Surrey, who used to live in Swynnerton and has now moved to Gnosall, near Stafford, has been jailed for 20 weeks. He admitted falsely claiming disability living allowance (DLA), housing benefit and Jobseekers' Allowance between 2006 and 2016.
Shrewsbury Crown Court heard Surrey's initial DLA claim had been genuine, he needed a stick to walk and he received the higher rate of mobility allowance. His circumstances changed within two years and he landed a job as a carer working with young adults. He was later employed by Provident Personal Credit as a door-to-door loan collector.
In 2013, Surrey made claims for housing benefit from Stafford Borough Council as well as Jobseekers' Allowance.
Prosecutor Naomi Nelson-Cofie said: "He said he was not working when he clearly was and these claims were both false and dishonest from the outset."
Stephen Rudge, representing Surrey, said his client was not in the best of health and that his initial DLA claim had been genuine. He suggested Surrey had 'misunderstood' the law and believed he could work for a few hours but had failed to notify the authorities of any changes to his situation. Mr Rudge said the monies had not been used to fund luxuries but to pay debts and for day-to-day living costs.
To report benefit fraudsters, call the national benefit fraud hotline on 0800 854440.
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The 64-year-old received the public handouts over a 10-year period. But he was busted in 2016 after investigators from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) carried out surveillance on the defendant.
Undercover officers filmed him - on three occasions in April and May 2016 - walking without a stick and at a normal pace.
Now Surrey, who used to live in Swynnerton and has now moved to Gnosall, near Stafford, has been jailed for 20 weeks. He admitted falsely claiming disability living allowance (DLA), housing benefit and Jobseekers' Allowance between 2006 and 2016.
Shrewsbury Crown Court heard Surrey's initial DLA claim had been genuine, he needed a stick to walk and he received the higher rate of mobility allowance. His circumstances changed within two years and he landed a job as a carer working with young adults. He was later employed by Provident Personal Credit as a door-to-door loan collector.
In 2013, Surrey made claims for housing benefit from Stafford Borough Council as well as Jobseekers' Allowance.
Prosecutor Naomi Nelson-Cofie said: "He said he was not working when he clearly was and these claims were both false and dishonest from the outset."
Stephen Rudge, representing Surrey, said his client was not in the best of health and that his initial DLA claim had been genuine. He suggested Surrey had 'misunderstood' the law and believed he could work for a few hours but had failed to notify the authorities of any changes to his situation. Mr Rudge said the monies had not been used to fund luxuries but to pay debts and for day-to-day living costs.
To report benefit fraudsters, call the national benefit fraud hotline on 0800 854440.
More