Date published: 09 August 2010

Two women have been convicted after cashing housing benefit cheques and then saying they had not received them.

Michelle Barlow, formerly of Woodhill Road, Bury claimed in July 2009 that a cheque for £364 that was posted to her had not arrived. Bury Council replaced the payment, but in truth Barlow had already cashed the cheque. Barlow then claimed that the replacement had also gone missing and asked the council to re-issue the cheque for a second time.

This alerted investigators who discovered that Barlow (28) had cashed both payments at different pawnbrokers in Bury, despite having a bank account where she could have deposited the money without paying a fee.

The investigation by Bury Council found that Barlow had also been falsely claiming housing benefit for a property in Oldham, stating that she had moved there in April 2009. Barlow had never lived in Oldham – and she wasn’t at either address, as she had left Woodhill Road and was living with a friend.

In total, Barlow had falsely claimed £6,813 in housing and council tax benefit and stolen a further £364 by claiming her cheque had been lost.

Barlow pleaded guilty to charges under the Fraud Act and Social Security Administration Act at Bury Magistrates Court. She was sentenced to a Community Order of 18 months with a requirement to complete 250 hours unpaid work. She was ordered to repay the money she had falsely claimed, and to pay £200 costs.

In a separate case sentenced on the same day, Amanda Baker (24) of St Paul’s Court, Bury was also convicted of offences under the Fraud Act.

Baker had visited the council’s offices at Whittaker Street in October 2009. She claimed she had left her previous address at Chester Street, Bury and was unable to enter the house to collect the cheque that had been posted to her.

She was issued a replacement of £357. In reality, Baker had received the initial payment which had been posted to her on October 16, 2009. Investigators discovered she had cashed it the following day at a pawnbroker in Bury town centre. Two days later, she called at council offices asking for a replacement payment, and maintained the lie at a further visit.

Baker was ordered to carry out a 12-month Community Order, to complete 100 hours unpaid work and pay costs of £200. She must also repay the £357 she falsely claimed.