5:12pm Thursday 13th March 2008
By Andy Carswell
A COUPLE who fraudulently claimed more than £29,000 in benefits were sentenced to 12 weeks in prison.
Linda and Dennis Edwards, of Seymour Road, Chalfont St Giles, were given the suspended jail term and 120 hours of community service at Wycombe Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
At an earlier hearing, Mrs Edwards pleaded guilty to two offences of fraud against the Department of Work and Pensions, one offence of council tax fraud and one of housing benefit fraud.
Mr Edwards also pleaded guilty to three DWP frauds at the same hearing.
The couple were initially sentenced to 18 weeks' imprisonment and 180 hours of community service, but this was reduced because they pleaded guilty.
In addition to their sentence, the couple will also have to pay back all the money they fraudulently obtained.
The fraud originally came to light as a result of the Edwards winning a Paradigm Housing gardening competition for best garden.
Photographs of the competition winners were displayed in the district council's offices in Amersham - and on November 8 2006, a member of the public anonymously told the council they believed the couple were both claiming benefits while working.
Following a joint investigation by Chiltern District Council and the DWP, it was confirmed the couple were both working whilst claiming benefits.
The housing benefit overpayment was £10,262.03 and council tax benefit overpayment was £2,795.19.
The remainder of the amount was in respect of DWP benefits.
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