A MAN was paid £30,000 in incapacity and other benefits claiming he was unfit for work while he had jobs in the scaffolding trade.

Leeds Crown Court heard during the period he was claiming disability allowances Adam Routh did work for 12 different employers.

He began claiming income support legitimately in October 2002 and received incapacity and disability living allowance from the following year after reporting he was suffering from epilepsy, depression and osteo-arthritis.

But it was made clear to him should his situation improve and he could work he should declare that, Diana Maudslay prosecuting told the court yesterday.

He notified authorities of a change of address in 2009 but otherwise continued to claim as before.

When he was questioned in 2009 about his dishonesty he said he never did physical work himself in the scaffolding jobs but acted as a supervisor telling others what to do.

He said he held a health and safety certificate which meant he could oversee sites and train others. He also said to be able to go out to work he had to dose himself on morphine and methadone to which he was addicted.

Lyndsey Lobley for Routh said he was an experienced scaffolder before his health problems and was approached to act as a kind of foreman on one job.

He had intended to tell the authorities but the contract ended before he did so and in others he had to leave when it appeared physical work was needed.

Routh, 46 of Garton Terrace, Leeds was jailed for 18 months after he admitted four offences of benefit fraud.

Sentencing him, Judge Alastair McCallum said “You effectively were stealing from the community when you were in well paid employment. Many people in this country would have been delighted to be earning the sort of figures you were.”

Via: Yorkshire Post