A benefit fraudster who failed to declare work he was doing has been sentenced to community service.

Thirty-five-year-old Paul Barker was overpaid £16,663 as a result of the offences.

Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood ordered him to complete 200 hours of unpaid work in the next 12 months.

We previously reported Barker, who lives at Fairfield Terrace in Douglas, was receiving incapacity benefit from April 2008 to July 2024.

In April 2021, he applied for income support, due to living away from the family home.

However, in June 2024, an anonymous allegation was received that he had been working as a builder/scaffolder and was often seen in work vans.

The Department of Health and Social Care accessed tax records and T14s which showed Barker starting work for Brickman Limited in May 2023, and earning £16,417 in the year.

He was interviewed by the DHSC and said he couldn’t remember what had led to him claiming benefits as it was a long time ago.

He confirmed that he had signed forms declaring no change in his circumstances but couldn’t say if he had read the declarations.

Barker initially claimed he had not worked but was then shown the T14s and admitted that he had but couldn’t specify dates.

He said he had gone on holiday in May 2024 and had worked up until then.

Since returning, he said he had been labouring for a couple of days a week for a different company but was said to be reluctant to disclose the company name.

Further tax checks showed that work had not been declared in relation to that.

Barker said that he didn’t have a bank account and was paid cash, and his benefits were paid via MiCard.

He said that he had difficulties filling in forms and would usually have his sister help him.

In court, he pleaded guilty to two counts of benefit fraud by failing to inform a change of circumstances.

Defence advocate Stephen Wood asked the court to follow the recommendation of a probation report, which had suggested community service as the most appropriate sentence.

Mr Wood said that his client was relatively lightly convicted and had already begun repaying the benefits to the treasury at a rate of £20 per week.

The probation report assessed the defendant as a low risk of reoffending and low risk of harm to others.

Deputy High Bailiff Ms Braidwood said that Barker’s benefit claim had not been dishonest from the outset, but the offence had taken place over a 13 month period.

Barker was also ordered to pay £50 prosecution costs, which he will pay at a rate of £5 per week, deducted from benefits.