A benefits cheat pensioner who scammed taxpayers out of nearly £30,000 has been jailed.
Graeme Dewar, from Perth, concealed a 20-year relationship from authorities to claim benefits to which he was not entitled.
The 68-year-old failed to tell the Department of Work for Pensions (DWP) and Perth and Kinross Council about his common law wife, instead claiming he was living on his own.
Dewar was found guilty last month of conning the DWP out of £11,647.80 between June 1 2014, and May 3 2018, at his home near Tibbermore.
He was further convicted of knowingly failing to give prompt notification of a change of circumstances while he was living in a common household with Sally Hamilton.
Perth Sheriff Court heard he obtained £11,647.80 in Employment Support Allowance.
Dewar was also found guilty of fraudulently obtaining £16,418.95 of housing benefit from Perth and Kinross Council between June 1 2014 and May 6 2018.
Jailing Dewar for eight months, Sheriff William Wood suggested the con may have been going on for even longer.
‘Considerable’ sum
The sheriff told him he was lucky the benefit agency was not able to provide paperwork for earlier than 2014.
“Overall, this is a fraud of almost £30,000.
“It is a considerable sum of money.
“This was a lengthy deception of both the council and the Department for Work and Pensions and, in these circumstances, I need to send you to prison.”
The court heard an investigation was launched into Dewar’s finances after an agency worker spotted his payments were going into a joint account.
The couple had claimed they had stopped living together and Ms Hamilton – who worked for Perth and Kinross Council – said she had moved out.
She said she had been living with another family member but the relative denied she ever lived with them and told the court they had not spoken since she made the claim.
Fiscal depute Rebecca Kynaston said: “It was quite clear they were maintaining a common household.
“She was contributing to household bills and rent.
“The accused made it known to the agency worker that he was the sole occupant of the property, which was clearly not true.”
Solicitor Pauline Cullerton, defending, said: “Mr Dewar is well aware of what he faces by way of punishment today.”
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