A man who allowed his details to be used for bogus benefits claims was addicted to drugs and in debt at the time.

Blackburn magistrates heard since then Tyler Ross Greenwood had turned his life around and was full of remorse.

Greenwood, 25, of Hayhead Avenue, Waterfoot, admitted to three charges of retaining a wrongful credit.

He was given a 12-month community order with 100 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay £85 costs.

Julia Draper, prosecuting, said the three claims had been made in a 10-month period for £3,917.

The first came on August 5, 2019, when he received £1,208.40, with the second, worth £1,233.72, coming on May 6, 2020. The third landed in his account a month later, and was for £1,475.52.

She said the defendant had been approached through Snapchat by someone saying they could help him make some claims.

“The money was paid into his account and he then handed over some of it to the person who made the claims,” said Miss Draper.

Rumahn Hanna, mitigating, said “rather naively” his client had trusted someone on Snapchat who said they could make him some quick money.

“At the time he was in debt and was suffering substance addiction,” said Mr Hanna.

“Since these offences he has turned his life around. He now has a job, secure accommodation and he has beaten his substance addiction.”

Mr Hanna said his client had been paying the money back from benefits but now had a job would be paying it back more quickly.