Last updated 13:21, Thursday, 09 October 2008

A FRIZINGTON woman has been told she faces prison for falsely claiming benefits worth over £23,000.

Susanne Lopes, 42, of Moor Place, claimed jobseekers’ allowance, housing benefit, income support and council tax benefit, totalling £23,145.01, while her husband, Manuel, worked as a doorman at a Workington nightclub.

And magistrates have today (Thursday) told Lopes that they are “only looking at a custodial sentence” when she returns to court on October 27 for sentencing.

Presiding magistrate Ian Killip said: “It is a substantial amount defrauded over a long period of time. It was intentional and has been a loss to the public purse.”

The court heard that Lopes claimed jobseekers’ allowance from January 2002 until January 2006, with two breaks totalling three weeks, and income support from May 2006 to February 2007. She named her husband and four children as dependants on her claim forms.

However, following an investigation led by Copeland Borough Council assisted by the Department of Work and Pensions, it emerged that Manuel Lopes had been working at Escape nightclub between March 2002 and February 2007. 

Lopes admitted four counts of making false statement or representation to obtain benefit or payment.

Neil Pilling, prosecuting, told the court: “All claims were false from the outset, apart from one for jobseekers’ allowance.” 

For Lopes, solicitor Ian Nancollis said: “The whole thing is a bit of a mess from her point of view. Her husband started out working as a favour and no cash exchanged hands which is why it wasn’t declared. However, it became a more regular thing and she didn’t know how to get herself out of the mess she had got herself in.”