A 26-year-old Yeovil man forged details on a rent certificate and lied about the amount he was paying to his landlord in order to claim benefits, a South Somerset District Council investigation has revealed.

At Yeovil Magistrates Court recently, Timothy Seddon, previously of Eastland Road pleaded guilty to three charges, all relating to attempts to get benefits that he was not entitled to.

Seddon presented South Somerset District Council with a false rent certificate, on which he had written a higher amount than he was actually charged, which was not signed by his landlord.

He also produced a rent certificate to support another person's claim, when he had no authority to do so.

These attempts, if successful, would have resulted in £1,200 of council taxpayer's money being paid out.

South Somerset District Council's Benefits, Litigation and Investigations Teams worked together to ensure this was not the case.

In defence, Ben Tabener of Gareth Webb & Co, said Seddon had a history of mental health problems and drug addiction.

The Magistrates took into consideration the mitigation and fined Seddon £65 per offence and ordered him to pay £15 victim surcharge.

Cllr Ric Pallister, South Somerset District Council Portfolio Holder for Benefits said: “This was a clear and deliberate attempt to defraud the public purse by claiming benefit that this particular man was not entitled to.

South Somerset District Council investigates every single case of potential benefit fraud and I want to make it clear that it is not and will not be tolerated. Our interests lie in making sure benefits are there for those that need them and not taken unfairly or illegally by benefit cheats.”