A BENEFITS claimant failed to tell the authorities when he started working as a self-employed delivery driver for Yodel.

Blackburn magistrates heard Andrew Chappell received a total overpayment of £4,183 over a nine-month period.

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Chappell, 40, of Lytham Road, Blackburn, admitted dishonestly failing to notify a change of circumstances. He was ordered to do 40 hours unpaid work and pay £55 costs. Parveen Akhtar said Chappell had been in receipt of job seekers’ allowance in respect of himself, his wife and child.

Richard Prew, defending, said Chappell was unsure how much work he would be given and initially had not been earning a significant amount: “He had good intentions of informing the benefits agency but as time went on that became more difficult and he effectively buried his head in the sand.”