Newton Abbot holiday camp dole cheats swindled £21k

A dole fiddler who was secretly working at a holiday camp got her wages paid under a false name so it did not affect her benefits.

Julie Hodgkins claimed to be an impoverished single mother when in fact she had a partner and both were working. She and boyfriend Steven Ballinger carried on the swindle for two years and claimed £21,000 they were not entitled to before being caught, Exeter Crown Court heard.

Hodgkins and Ballinger, both 40, from Appletree Close, Chudleigh Knighton, near Newton Abbot, admitted fraud and aiding and abetting fraud.

They were each jailed for nine months, suspended for two years and ordered to do 240 hours unpaid community work by Judge Phillip Wassall.

Oliver Willmott, prosecuting, said Hodgkins was claiming income support from the Department of Work and Pensions, and housing and council tax benefits from Teignbridge District Council.

He said: "She signed forms indicating she was a lone parent without any income but in the course of time that ceased to be the case.

"By July 2007 these two defendants were living together as husband and wife and he had an income from a job at the PDSA charity at Newton Abbot.

"At one stage he also worked at the South Bay holiday park and she also worked there but not in her own name and her wages were paid into his bank account."

William Parkhill, for Hodgkins, said her finances were still in a very poor state but she was trying to repay the money at £50 a month. Martin Salloway, for Ballinger, said he had begged her to stop the scam but she ignored his pleas. He said he deserved credit for coming clean as soon as they were caught.