A BENEFITS cheat who kept a secret stash of money hidden from his wife has been ordered to pay back £21,756.82.

A proceeds of crime hearing held at Preston Crown Court heard Michael Lander, 54, fraudulently claimed £25,084.34 in Income Support and Council Tax Benefit, after he failed to declare savings he was keeping hidden from his wife.

Once he has repaid the money, Lander - who at the start of the claim had £43,000 in secret savings - will have little left in his bank account.

He has already started repaying his debt to the DWP and now has around £25,000 in assets.

If he does not make the payment in full within three months he faces a prison sentence.

Lander, of Cleator Street, Dalton, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and appeared at Preston Crown Court in January to be sentenced.

The former postman claimed he had been “taken to the cleaners” in a previous divorce settlement, and kept his wealth secret from his new wife, Susan.

In July 2011, Mrs Lander, who lives in Dalton, made a joint claim for income support and council tax benefit to support herself and her husband while they were out of work.

But over the course of the claim, Lander made numerous deposits into his secret Halifax accounts - without her knowledge.

As a result the couple received more than £25,000 they were not entitled to.

When the fraud came to light, both Mr and Mrs Lander were quizzed but it soon became clear Mrs Lander was unaware of her husband’s money.

At the sentence hearing, Recorder Guy Mathieson told Lander: “You have been caught out in a massive lie.

“A lie not only to the benefits agencies in this country but to your wife, who you led to believe you had only a small amount of savings.

“It is quite obvious from considering your bank accounts that you were wealthier than that.

“Whatever the justification in your mind, when you started this claim you had £43,000 in the bank.

“To lie to your wife in that way and to allow her to make a fraudulent claim from the outset is a disgraceful piece of behaviour.”

Mrs Lander sat in the public gallery throughout the court proceedings.