A SELBY man has admitted fraudulently claiming more than £18,000 in benefits over three years.

John Piggott, of Hempbridge Road, Whitley, appeared before York Magistrates’ Court faced charges, including making false statements to obtain benefits and failing to notify Selby District Council of a change of circumstances.

The 49-year-old pleaded guilty to five offences of fraud, which resulted in an overpayment of £18,166.33 (from October 2009 to August 2012) in housing benefit, council tax benefit, Job Seekers Allowance and Incapacity Benefit, and the rest were withdrawn by the council.

The court heard Piggott bought a house in Riccall with his ex-partner, which he allowed to be used by friends for several months while he moved in with the woman and her three children, on the understanding the friends would pay the mortgage and utility bills at the Riccall property.

Piggott received a phone call from his bank informing him the bills had not been paid and he was in arrears. He asked the men to leave, but they refused, at which point he took legal advice and was told it could take several months to remove them.

A council representative told the court Piggott had claimed incapacity benefit for depression between Spetember 2008 and February 2010, and when he and his partner broke up in August 2009, he approached the council and told them he was homeless.

He was then allocated a council house and continued to claim Job Seeker’s Allowance, but did not disclose the £42,000 he received when the house was sold last year.

Phil Brown, for Piggott, said his client “had a mental breakdown” following this, but said “there is no concerted planning to the fraud created in this case”. He said: “He accepts, by his guilty plea, but there was not a device set up to secure himself a council property.”

Piggott will be sentenced at York Crown Court on July 4.