A MAN who cycled to work for a year claimed £73,000 in disability benefits, a court heard.

David Blunsdon ignored pages of letters from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) asking him to notify them of any changes in his condition.

The father of two, from Berriedale Drive, Sompting, was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, a form of cancer, in 1999 which led to him having his left hip removed, his trial at Worthing Magistrates’ Court was told.

The 52-year-old first claimed disability living allowance benefits in 2001.

He denies dishonestly failing to notify a change in circumstances affecting his entitlement to benefits totalling £73,598 from 2004 to 2016.

After receiving DLA the DWP sends an annual letter asking for the recipient to make it aware of any improvements in the condition when considering the payment amount for the next year.

Blunsdon began working full-time as a computer aided design technician for Nash and Partners, a property firm in Chichester, in 2004.

He would commute via train and walk from the station to his office, the court heard.

David Packer, prosecuting, said that Blunsdon saw a chiropractor who told him he should cycle from the station and he began doing so.

When asked by Mr Packer if he thought this was a sign of improvement in his health condition, Blunsdon said he did not.

He also stopped using a wheelchair not long after he became eligible for DLA and started using crutches, Mr Packer said.

Blunsdon began to use a walking stick rather than the crutches, again failing to declare it to the DWP, he said.

The court was told that a social worker filled out the application on behalf of Blunsdon, but it was signed off by him.

He was eligible for high rate DLA due to the severity of his condition.

Blunsdon also suffered from a deep vein thrombosis – the formation of blood clots – in his left leg.

Blunsdon was on a number of medications including warfarin, naproxen and lansoprazole.

Blunsdon said he “looked at the first page” of the documents but then “threw away” the rest, about eight or nine pages.

The trial continues.