Pensioner from Skegness faces unpaid work over credit claim

Roy Cooper of Wainfleet Road, Skegness, admitted at Boston Magistrates Court to dishonestly failing to tell the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) that he was working between March 12 and October 21 2017 while he was claiming pension credit.

Prosecuting, Jim Clare said Cooper was not entitled to pension credit during this period of time and had accrued £511 more than he should have.

He said an aggravating factor was that Cooper had been convicted of exactly the same thing in 2013, when he was given a conditional discharge for working at the same place, the Pleasure Beach at Skegness.

He said Cooper told investigators from the DWP that he had ‘financial hardships’ which were still ongoing, which was why he didn’t declare the fact that he was working.

Tony Davies, mitigating, said Cooper was making arrangements to repay the money.

Cooper was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work for the community and ordered to pay £170 in costs and charges.