Benefit cheat from Wakefield swindled £16,000 Universal Credit to feed drug habit

Fraud investigators from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) were called in to look at Daniel Cahill’s claims spanning four years and found he had been fraudulently claiming the cash.

Leeds Crown Court was told that the 41-year-old said he was unemployed and required housing benefits also when he first signed on in late 2019. He then changed addresses several times in Stanley and Wakefield, updating it on the system, as he was required.

But after suspicions were aroused, they went to his latest address according to the records - a flat in Berners Street in the Eastmoor part of the city - and they were told he had not lived there for a lengthy period of time.

He later underwent an interview with the DWP and insisted he still lived at the address. His Universal Credit was eventually suspended in June last year. It was found that he had falsely claimed for £16,320 in total.

Cahill, of Aberford Road, Stanley, admitted a charge of failing to notify the authorities of a change in circumstances that could affect his entitlements. He has no previous convictions.

Mitigating, Timothy Jacobs put the offence down to his drug use. He said: “He has been using drugs for some years now. He has not really had any structure for dealing with that.

“Part of the problem is that addicts are surrounded by other addicts, but he has the benefit of people around him who are not. They are individuals who want to help him and encourage him to break free of this.”

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The judge, Recorder Alex Menary gave Cahill an 18-month community order with a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement, along with 20 rehabilitations days. He reserved any breaches to himself meaning that should he come before the courts again, Cahill would face the same judge. Recorder Menary said: “This was going on for nearly four years. You were spending the money on drugs and were no longer a resident at the property.

“You made a number of false declarations. You have struggled with Class A drug addiction for some time and you have come to a fork in the road. You can now take the assistance and turn away from drugs. If you do not, we will meet again.”