A WEYMOUTH man has been warned he faces jail after admitting benefit fraud charges totalling nearly £40,000.

John Harvey, pictured, of Dorchester Road, admitted eleven fraud charges in an appearance at Dorchester Crown Court.

The offences included two charges of fraud by false representation relating to 57-year-old Harvey applying for Job Seekers’ Allowance in the name of John Le Rouze and failing to declare that he was in receipt of an occupational pension under the name of John Harvey.

He also pleaded guilty to charges of fraud by failing to disclose information relating to a failure to declare to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that he was working and fraud by false representation involving an application to the DWP for a National Insurance number.

Harvey admitted a further five charges of fraud by failing to disclose information relating to failures to disclose to the DWP that he was working and failing to inform Weymouth and Portland Borough Council that he was claiming benefits and in receipt of a pension when claiming housing benefit and council tax and failing to disclose bank accounts.

He also admitted a charge of possession of an article for use in fraud relating to a UK passport.

The offences took place between July 2004 and February last year and prosecutor Rufus Taylor said they involved a total loss of £37,973.20. The case was adjourned for a pre-sentence report and Harvey was bailed to return to Dorchester Crown Court to be sentenced on February 22.

Judge Roger Jarvis told the defendant: “You have admitted a large number of serious matters stretching over a significant period of time and plain it is the court will be thinking of custody by way of punishment.”

After Harvey’s guilty plea Weymouth and Portland Borough Council’s spokesman for finance and assets Councillor Peter Chapman said: “We are satisfied with the outcome of the case and await sentencing.

“We hope this will serve as a warning that benefit fraud is something that the council takes very seriously. Benefit fraud is stealing not from the government and council but from all local residents.”