A COUPLE must pay back more than £14,000 they fraudulently claimed in benefits.

Khalid Mahmood continued to claim housing benefit and council tax benefit after failing to declare earnings made from working as a taxi driver.

He pleaded not guilty to two charges of dishonesty relating to claims for benefits, but he was found guilty and convicted by magistrates at Aylesbury on Thursday.

Mahmood, of Chalk Hill, Chesham, was ordered to pay £1,000 in costs and given a 240 hour community service order.

Wife Naseem had pleaded guilty to four charges of dishonesty at an earlier court appearance. She was given a two month suspended prison sentence, made to do 100 hours of community service and ordered to pay £500 costs.

They fraudulently obtained £10,636 in housing benefit and £3,435 in council tax benefit – all of which will have to be repaid to Chiltern District Council.

The fraud came to light as a result of cross checking data between the council's Revenues and Benefits department and the Taxi Licensing department.

Mahmood, who had held a licence since 2004, had not declared any earnings from his taxi work.

His wife stated her husband did not work and that she supported the family from her income.

However, the council was able to establish these statements were untrue and he was earning an income from driving a taxi.

Council leader John Warder said: “We are pleased that yet again our fraud prevention techniques have stopped the loss of public funds.

“This conviction shows our ongoing commitment to root out anyone trying to line their own pockets with public funds which are there to help those who really need it, especially in these difficult financial times.”