A 53-year-old man has admitted committing a £4,927 benefit fraud.

Samuel Joseph Colburn pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to inform a change of circumstances after he didn’t declare that his partner was working in a cafe.

He will be sentenced on April 25 after a probation report has been prepared.

Prosecuting advocate Peter Connick told the court that Colburn’s benefits claim had initially been genuine and was not fraudulent from the outset.

However, it was later discovered that his partner had been working at Laxey beach cafe between March 2020 and July 2020, and then again between December 2020 and August 2022.

He was interviewed at Markwell House and claimed that he had not read the declaration on the forms he had signed, or letters he had received.

However, he admitted that he knew that he had to declare any changes in his circumstances and confirmed that his partner had been working in the cafe.

Colburn, who lives at Larivane Meadows, Andreas, said that he was under the impression that she could work without it having any effect on his benefits.

He told DHSC staff: ‘I didn’t understand, but I do now.’

Mr Connick submitted that the case was suitable for summary court sentencing.

Defence advocate Paul Glover agreed that sentencing should take place in the lower court and said that his client had already started paying back the money at a rate of £20 per week.

High Bailiff Jayne Hughes ruled out custody, saying that she was satisfied that the offences could be dealt with by way of a community penalty.

Bail was granted in the sum of £500.