Another Illegal Window Cleaner Gets Jail

Under surveillance: Thomas Kenny claimed his back complaint was a disability... but was caught on camera lifting a ladder. Thomas Kenny claimed his back complaint was so bad he couldn't walk. But he was caught on camera carrying a ladder and lifting a tyre from his car. The 52-year-old had been jailed for a separate case of benefit fraud in 2009

That will never wash! Benefits cheat who claimed £33,000 by pretending he had to use a wheelchair caught cleaning windows. A cheat who pretended he needed to use a wheelchair so he could claim benefits has been jailed after investigators caught working as a window cleaner. Thomas Kenny claimed more than £33,000 in incapacity benefit and disability living allowance over a five-year period. The 52-year-old - who had been jailed back in 2009 for a different case of benefit fraud - was emotionless as he was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to eight months in prison. The father-of-two was caught on surveillance by the Department for Work and Pensions carrying a ladder and taking a tyre out of the boot of his car.

Grey-haired Kenny was charged with failing to notify the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) of a change in circumstances when he started work as a window cleaner in 2007, having claimed incapacity benefits since 1997 for a bad back. He was also charged with fraudulently claiming Disability Living Allowance (DLA) from April 2008 until his arrest last September. He pleaded guilty to both charges at Liverpool Magistrates Court in March. The 'serial fraudster' claimed £11,554.30 of DLA from April 2008 until September 2011. He also fraudulently claimed £22,129.50 of incapacity benefits from June 2007 to August 2011. He fraudulently claimed a total of £33,683.80.

Bootle-born Kenny claimed on his DLA application form that he used a walking stick, and sometimes used a wheelchair. He also claimed that he could not wash or dry himself, needed help climbing the stairs, and that it took him three to four minutes to walk five metres, but had been working as a window cleaner since 2007. Kenny claimed he only took on the window cleaning work from his father, who had suffered a fall in 2007 which resulted in a brain injury. An earlier sentencing date was adjourned last month as Kenny’s father died while he was in court. Nicola Daley, prosecuting, said: 'He (Kenny) has been in receipt of incapacity benefits since 1997 and was unfit for work. 'It was not fraudulent from the outset, but there was a failure to notify the DWP of the change in circumstances. 'In more recent times he was working as a self-employed window cleaner.' Kenny was also jailed for four months in 2009 for failing to notify the DWP of his wife’s occupational pension, after claiming income support for the couple since 2002.

Only a quarter of that sentence was served, and it did not deter Kenny, who continued to receive DLA and incapacity benefits following his release. David Birrell, defending, said: 'By explanation and not excuse, the window cleaning round Mr Kenny carried out had been his father’s round. 'His father suffered an accident when he fell from a ladder in 2007 and suffered what would end up as a fatal brain injury.' Mr Kenny was asked to step in by his mother and he said he felt obliged to do so. He is 52, married, with two children. His daughter sits in court today, and his family are devastated. 'He is a man who works and volunteers driving disabled children around - there is good in him.' Judge Mark Brown, sentencing, said: 'Mr Kenny, you said it took you several minutes to walk a short distance and needed a walking stick and needed help with personal issues.

Heavy load: In one image, Kenny is seen lifting a tyre from the boot of his car.

Easy does it: Far from being incapacitated, Kenny lifts the ladder on to the roof of his car with ease.

'There was significant dishonesty here and your position is considerably aggravated by the fact that in 2009 you were sentenced to four months in prison for making false statements to obtain benefits over the course of five-and-a-half years. 'Following your release from prison, you continued to claim incapacity benefits and DLA and did so fraudulently. 'It is clear to me that you are something of a serial fraudster. You are a repeat offender when it comes to duping the state. 'It has been said time and time again that this country cannot afford to pay out these kind of monies. 'Money that could be put into health care and social services. It could be used to support people, not put into your back pocket.' Kenny was sentenced to eight months in prison, and waved to his daughter, who burst into tears as he was led from the dock.