A Soham man who illegally claimed £6,000 in Council Tax support has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Alan Coogan, 69 of Hasse Road was found guilty of two acts of fraud against Anglia Revenues Partnership which collects Council Tax on behalf of East Cambridgeshire District Council.

Cambridge Magistrates' Court heard Mr Coogan had dishonestly failed to disclose he had capital assets, such as property and bank accounts, far in excess of what is allowed when claiming support for Council Tax. He also failed to declare he owned another property which he was renting out and receiving an income from. 

In total, between 21 January 2021 and 29 March 2023 he claimed £6,351.42 towards the cost of his Council Tax bill. Council Tax support is only available to people who are on a low income and have capital savings of less than £10,000 if they are of working age, or £16,000 if they are of pensionable age. Other Council Tax discounts are available for disabled people, students or people who live on their own.

His deception only came to light when a member of the public contacted ARP to ask them to investigate.

Mr Coogan was sentenced to 26 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. He must also pay £799.50 towards costs and a victim surcharge of £128.

Councillor Anna Bailey, Leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: "We are always here to help people who genuinely need support and I would encourage anyone who is having difficulties paying their Council Tax bill to contact us in the first instance so we can assess what support we are able to provide.

"However, when we find people who are abusing the system, our message is clear - we will always follow this through to a prosecution. As well as deceiving the council, illegally claiming support for Council Tax or any other type of benefit can ultimately lead to higher taxes and reduced services, which impacts all residents.

"Like most councils, we rely on help from members of the public to put an end to illegal behaviour like this by reporting their concerns and I am pleased in this case that someone has had the courage to come forward and do this."