A FFOSTRASOL farmer received over £20,000 in benefits he wasn’t entitled to after failing to tell authorities that he had remarried.

Thomas William Aled Jenkins, of Moc Farm, pleaded guilty to dishonestly failing to notify authorities of a change of circumstances that would affect his entitlement to widowed parent’s allowance.

Prosecutor Helen Tench said Jenkins had been receiving the widowed parent’s allowance after his wife passed away in 2009.

But an investigation showed that he had actually been in a relationship with another woman from 2012 and had remarried.

Ms Tench said Jenkins, 46, had received over £20,624 that he would not have been eligible for in the period between June 2012 and September 2015.

She said Jenkins had not informed the DWP that he had remarried despite receiving paperwork and letters saying that he should inform the authorities of any change in his circumstances.

In an interview Jenkins initially denied being in another relationship and said the woman had instead been living with him rent-free in exchange for looking after his son.

But in a second interview Jenkins said he had informed the DWP that the couple were together in 2015, but that they had not been in a relationship before then.

Defence solicitor Barry Gawthorpe said Jenkins admitted that he had failed to notify the authorities of the change in circumstances, but said he had been struggling to run his farm and keep on top of paperwork following the death of his first wife.

He said Jenkins had since repaid the full amount overpaid after receiving help from friends and family. Mr Gawthorpe said Jenkins had not been fully aware of what benefit he was receiving until his accountant mentioned it in 2015. While Jenkins had then contacted the DWP, he had become defensive when he was being questioned and made claims that were not true.

Mr Gawthorpe said: “He’s incredibly remorseful and he’s ashamed that he’s here.” He added that the case was an “aberration” and would not be repeated.

Magistrates imposed a conditional discharge for three years and ordered Jenkins to pay costs of £105.