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A WOMAN has been given a 12-month conditional discharge after she claimed almost £3,000 in housing and council benefit that she was not entitled to.

Lisa Dipple, 30, formerly of Red Lion Court, in Bishop's Stortford, failed to tell East Herts Council when she started receiving Working Tax Credit.

Dipple, who claimed £2,831.47, entered a guilty plea at Hertford Magistrates Court on March 10 when she was also ordered to pay back the money she wrongly claimed, as well as £100 in court costs.

Benefits payments are worked out according to the claimant's circumstances, so if there any changes they need to tell the council within four weeks so their payments can be adjusted. This means anything that affects their household income, which includes other people living with them, needs to be declared.

Councillor Bob Parker, the executive member with responsibility for benefits said: "There are no ifs, no buts when it comes to benefit fraud. If you withhold information that affects your claim, you're taking what's not rightfully yours - that's stealing from every tax payer in the district.

"More people now use our benefits hotline to report suspected cheats because they do not see why they should pay to fund a fraudster's lifestyle."

East Herts Council, which brought the prosecution, provides a 24-hour benefits hotline - 0800 373 852 - that allows callers to give details confidentially of people they believe may be fraudulently claiming either council tax or housing benefit. Suspicions can also be reported anonymously on-line through the council's website www.eastherts.gov.uk

5:06pm Wednesday 19th March 2008

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