FIVE benefits cheats who illegally claimed more than £32,000 between them have been ordered to pay back some of the cash.

Susan Lowe, Kevin Doyle, Alan Smith, Michael Cockley and Pamela Wood lied to Southend Council to get their hands on extra money.

The fraudsters admitted their respective offences at a series of hearings in Southend Magistrates’ Court.

Andrew Moring, the Conservative councillor responsible for benefits, said the court cases proved the council was willing to track down and punish people who tried to cheat the system.

He said: “The council is committed to paying benefits to the people who are entitled to receive them.

“However, we have a duty to protect the public purse and take action against anyone committing benefit fraud.

“Benefit fraud is an offence, and, as these cases indicate, repayment of benefit is not the only action the council may wish to take.”

Lowe, 46, of Feeches Road, Southend, admitted supplying false statements to obtain £18,483 worth of income support, as well as housing and council tax benefit.

She was given a four-month prison sentence, suspended for a year, ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and must pay £100 in court costs – on top of paying back the overpayment in full.

Doyle, 35, of Kursaal Way, Southend, admitted to magistrates he had claimed benefits after failing to declare he had started work.

He was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work, pay £100 costs, and pay back the total of £3,493 worth of jobseeker’s allowance, housing and council tax benefits he had dishonestly obtained.

Cockley, 25, of Chalfont Close, Leigh, admitted to claiming housing benefit for a property which he declared he was renting, even though he had bought it with his partner five years ago.

He was given a three-month prison sentence, suspended for a year, ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work, pay £233 costs and also pay back the the overpayment he had received of £6,973.

Wood, 53, of Fairfax Drive, Southend, told the council she had stopped working in January 2009. In fact, she continued being paid until May 15 that year.

She then started a new job on June 1, but failed to declare that.

She was given a 100-hour community sentence, ordered to pay £349 and pay a £4,116 compensation order.