A FORMER brewery worker claimed housing and council tax benefit despite the fact that he was receiving state and occupational pensions, a court heard.

Blackburn magistrates were told that Thomas Ashurst claimed £6,471 to which he was not entitled because he assumed the taxman would have told everyone about his financial standing. Ashurst, 69, of Skye Crescent, Blackburn, who had no previous convictions, was convicted after a trial of two offences of making a false statement to obtain benefit.

After the magistrates had read pre-sentence reports, Ashurst was ordered to do 40 hours community service and pay £100 costs. The cash owed to Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council is being repaid at £100 a month. Adrian Williams, defending, said Ashurst had been made redundant from Whitbread but the majority of his redundancy payment had gone in a divorce settlement. He had become eligible for a pension from Whitbread which he received in addition to his state pension.