Hardworking Farnley Tyas man Paul Hartley cleared of dishonestly claming benefits

A MAN accused of dishonestly claiming more than £3,000 in benefits has been acquitted.

Paul Hartley, 50, of New Lane Terrace, Farnley Tyas, applied for Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA), housing benefit and council tax benefit after falling on hard times.

But when he found a new job and notified the Job Centre, he assumed they would inform Kirklees Council and his entitlement to the extra benefits would cease.

However, he continued to be paid a total of £3,334.93 in benefits from March 8, 2009 until October 2010.

But Mr Hartley was only charged with dishonesty over failing to declare a change in circumstances to Kirklees Council, knowing it may affect his entitlement to benefit. And magistrates found the hard worker was not acting dishonestly in his actions.

Calderdale magistrates heard yesterday how Mr Hartley was “a man of integrity”. Until 2006 he ran a motorcycle business which went into administration after he had an accident. Mr Hartley paid the creditors out of his own pocket and sought other employment.

From 2006 until 2009 he was in and out of work but refused to claim benefits when laid off, and it was only after persuasion from others he made a claim for benefits.

He went to Huddersfield Job Centre in November 2009 to claim JSA and they sent him to Kirklees Council’s Civic Centre to claim the other benefits. Mr Hartley says the Job Centre sent an email to Kirklees Council explaining his situation, and the council were waiting for him when he arrived.

In March 2010 he returned to the Job Centre to inform them he had found a job and to sign off from JSA. He believed they would also inform Kirklees Council and his other benefits would also stop.

However he continued to be paid housing benefit and council tax benefit.

Huddersfield solicitor Michael Sisson-Pell, is Mr Hartley’s landlord and gave character evidence for him in court. He said: “He is a man of integrity. He comes across as a very hard worker and willing to put in the hours, but I think he found paperwork a bit daunting.”

Mr Hartley acknowledged he signed forms which said it was his responsibility to inform Kirklees Council of a change in circumstances and he accepted he didn’t do that, but he said he didn’t read the forms in full. He also accepts that he was overpaid benefits, but magistrates threw the case out saying he was not acting dishonestly.

Mr Hartley said: “At the moment I do odd jobs to keep some money coming in. This was the first time I’d ever claimed benefits and I daren’t do it anymore after all this.”