A SELBY area man has pleaded guilty to falsely claiming nearly £4,000 in benefits from the district council.

Kevin Churm, 52, of The Gatehouse, School Croft, Brotherton, was fined £390 and ordered to pay £500 in costs after being charged with knowingly making false statements to the council and failing to tell the council about a large compensation payment he received. Selby Magistrates’ Court heard that between November 2005 and August 2007, Churm produced documents and gave statements to Selby Council on which he failed to declare an additional bank account held in his name. In addition, in March last year he failed to tell the authorities that he had been paid £15,663 in compensation, which he banked in the undeclared account.

As a result Churm received £3,997.35 in benefit for which he was not entitled.

In mitigation, Churm’s solicitor said his client had opened the bank account on behalf of another person and therefore did not consider it to be his account or consider that it should be declared.

In terms of the £15,000 compensation payment, the court was told that Churm had declared this to the Tax Credit Office who advised that it would not affect his tax credits; therefore his client assumed the same would apply in terms of benefit payments.

Also, as this money was given directly to Churm’s children in order to repay money they had previously loaned him, he did not consider it necessary to declare it to the council.

Churm has been given 28 days to pay the fine and costs.

He has already paid back the benefit over-payment.