Family of benefit cheats sentenced

Allan and Lorraine Peters, from Eccles, Greater Manchester, claimed to be housebound and unable to walk while getting Incapacity Benefit, Disability Living Allowance and a mobility car each.

Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester heard three other members of the Peters family worked while raking in thousands in benefits, and Peters and his son Garry were jailed for nine months for benefit fraud while Lorraine Peters, her brother and another son were all given non-custodial sentences.

The family were caught out when investigators went to their house and seized wage slips - in false names - and a snap of the couple smiling and seemingly pain-free as they boarded a gangplank for a boat trip on a Spanish holiday.

The court heard Mr Peters, 56, said on his claim form he suffered from angina, chronic pulmonary disease, sleep apnea, spondylitis and high blood pressure, adding he needed oxygen to be kept in his car and simple tasks like getting dressed were a "nightmare".

He claimed £32,000 in benefits over a four-year period while being paid £90 a week for doing 16 hours at North West Cleaning where his wife, two sons and brother-in-law also worked.

His wife was on the highest rate of benefits for her "disability", claiming she suffered a "catalogue" of illnesses, could not leave the house or do anything herself without help and need a nebuliser daily.

In fact she was a site supervisor at the firm - while being paid £37,500 in benefits.

Her son Garry, 31, a father-of-one, claimed to suffer arthritis and was paid Incapacity Benefit and Income Support worth £39,000 for more than six years. During that time he was holding down two jobs, including as a window cleaner.

Son Martin, 28, claimed Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance and a Carer's Allowance, supposedly for looking after his ill parents, totalling £10,000 and Compton McKenzie, 51, the brother of Lorraine Peters, also fraudulently claimed £10,000 in Incapacity Benefits.