A man who worked as a self-employed lift engineer despite being signed off work sick has admitted benefit fraud totalling £8,305.

Wayne Peter Berry, aged 47, of Westminster Drive, Douglas, will be sentenced on October 10 after a probation report has been completed.

He appeared before magistrates on Thursday. Prosecutor Barry Swain told the court that Berry was initially receiving Jobseekers’ Allowance from April 2018 as he was unemployed.

He declared some self-employed work as a lift engineer but in November 2018 switched to claiming incapacity benefit and income support due to being unfit for work.

However, on December 27 information was received that Berry was still doing some work as a lift engineer.

The DHSC obtained permission to access his bank accounts and it was discovered that he had been receiving significant payments.

Interview

Berry was interviewed by the department on February 5 this year and admitted that although he had declared some work, he had been doing additional undeclared work.

He accepted there had been an overpayment to him in benefits of £8,305.17 as a result of him failing to declare the work.

Advocate Ian Kermode asked for a probation report to be prepared before sentencing takes place.

Mr Kermode entered a basis of plea on behalf of his client in which Berry said that at the start of his claim he had not been working but accepting that he had done periodic work which he had not informed the DHSC about while claiming benefits.

Berry said he had been stressed and under financial pressure at the time of the offence.

Magistrates adjourned the case and ordered the probation report to consider all options, including custody.

Bail was granted with conditions that Berry reside at his home address and contact probation.