A COUPLE who falsely claimed more than £113,000 in benefits by pretending not to be together have been jailed for more than one year each.

Christine Paulizky, 54, and Keith Lingham, 52, hid their relationship from authorities to swindle council tax and housing benefits for seven years.

The pair pretended to be landlord and tenant rather than a couple while living in Bexhill, meaning Paulizky wrongly received £46,730 in housing benefit and £7,115.88 in council tax benefit.

Councillor Robin Patten, Rother District Council cabinet member for finance, said their fraud was “elaborate and long-running.”

He added: “Benefits are intended as a safety net to help those in real need. Benefit fraud is not a victimless crime and at a time when many people are having to tighten their belts, the taxpayer ultimately has to foot the bill.”

They were convicted at trial in May and jailed on Thursday at Lewes Crown Court, Paulizky for 15 months and Lingham for 18 months, after an investigation by Rother District Council and the Department for Work and Pensions.

Paulizky started living with Lingham, who was employed, at a bungalow in The Ridings, Bexhill, in November 2001.

Lingham used a false name to get a joint tenancy agreement on the house, but Paulizky’s was the only name on the tenancy agreement sent to the council to claim benefits. #

In June 2004 Lingham bought the property and created a false tenancy agreement pretending that Paulizky was his tenant paying £650 a month in rent.

Paulizky, now of St James Heights, Paradise Walk, Bexhill, was convicted of five offences under the Social Security Administration Act and five under the Theft Act.

Lingham, now of Tallis Grove, Charlton, south London, was also found guilty under the Theft Act of two counts of aiding and abetting.