A BENEFITS cheat who claimed he was in so much pain that he couldn’t dress himself properly made daily visits to the gym and was seen loading his car with boxes.

Investigators also saw David Rose, who was claiming Disability Living Allowance, go on long walks with his dog without using a stick, driving a car and going shopping, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

Rose, 49, of Combs Wood Drive, Stowmarket, admitted benefit fraud between January 2007 and October 2009 and was made the subject of an 18-month community order and 18 months supervision.

Sentencing him, Judge Peter Fenn said Rose’s claim for benefit had been genuine at the outset but he had failed to notify the authorities of an improvement in his condition.

Stephanie Dodd, prosecuting, said that when Rose applied for benefits he said he had chronic back pain and arthritis in his knees, which meant he could not carry out basic tasks on his own, such as getting dressed, and relied on his wife to care for him.

“A surveillance operation was carried out in August 2009 and it was discovered that he could do a lot more than he described,” Miss Dodd said.

She said that Rose had a gym membership since 2006 and would go on a daily basis and use a treadmill for 20 minutes.

He was also seen going on long dog walks over difficult terrain and up inclines without help and without using a walking stick.

He was also seen loading and unloading his car to go to car boot sales, driving and shopping.

Miss Dodd said that over a period of more than two years Rose had been overpaid �10,000 in benefits which he was currently repaying at �32 a week from his benefit payments.

She said Rose told investigators he had been advised to go to a gym by his doctor to help his back pain and as a result he had lost eight stone in weight.

Miss Dodd accepted that there had been a time when Rose had medical problems, but said he had not notified the authorities when his condition improved.

Rose could give no explanation for what he had done apart from having financial problems.

Lynne Shirley, for Rose, said her client’s health had deteriorated since the offence and he now walked with a stick and no longer went to the gym.

Commenting on the case, Lord Freud, Minister for Welfare Reform, said: “It is cases like these that show us why welfare reform is needed.

“We have a duty to the taxpayer and our customers to make sure that these vital benefits only go to those who need them.

“Benefit fraud takes money away from the most vulnerable.

“It is a crime and we are committed to stopping it by catching criminals at the front line and making sure our reforms make the benefit system less open to abuse.”