Petersfield twins cheated East Hampshire District Council out of £19,000 in housing benefit.

Patricia Cole and Anthoney Ive of Chesnut Drive, Broadway Caravan Park, Petersfield were convicted at Winchester Crown Court on November 26.

The pair swindled the district council out of £19,275.23 in housing benefit by failing to declare they were related.

Ive was ordered to carry out 80 hours of community service and Cole received a 12 month conditional discharge.

The judge told Ive: ÒYou knew all along that you werenÕt entitled to this money.Ó

He added: Òthe only mitigation you have is that, had Mrs Cole not been your sister, you would have been entitled to this housing benefit lawfully.Ó

The fraud was detected by EHDCÕs fraud investigations team through the verification framework and matching birth certificates.

Under housing benefit legislation, where a claimantÕs landlord is a close relative or partner and is living with the claimant, they are not entitled to housing benefit.

lAnother benefit fraudster in East Hampshire has become the first to be uncovered by e-mail.

Sara-Louise Margaret Hambridge, formerly of Uplands Road, Rowlands Castle, pleaded guilty to making false statements and recieving nearly £3,000 in housing and council tax benefits from EHDC, to which she was not entitled.

Hambridge recieved a 24 month conditional discharge from Alderhot magistrates on November 26.

EHDC have recently introduced a new fraud webpage to enable people to report suspected frauds via e-mail.