A benefit cheat who hid a cash stash while claiming Income Support will go to jail if he does not pay back all the money he dishonestly pocketed.

A Court gave Inyat Hussain six months to return more than £40,000 he claimed over almost six years.

The judge, Recorder Anthony Hawks, warned Hussain he faced 18 months of imprisonment if he defaulted.

Recorder Hawks made a Proceeds of Crime Application at Bradford Crown Court today.

He found that Hussain benefited to the tune of £42,688 from benefit fraud and made a confiscation order in the same sum.

Diana Maudslay, for the Crown, said Hussain had £135,000 of assets.

Hussain’s solicitor advocate, Michael Reeves, said his client had fallen out with his wife and was experiencing other difficulties.

Hussain, 58, a former cab driver, was labelled “criminally stupid” by fraud investigators after he was convicted by a jury of concealing his assets to falsely claim Income Support. Hussain, a father-of-five, of Park View Road, Manningham, told the jury a £90,000 cash stash which was found was money he was keeping for his children.

Benefit investigators found the assets in Halifax and Yorkshire Building Society accounts in the names of Hussain and his wife.

In September last year, Hussain was sentenced to 51 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months with 12 months’ supervision.

He was spared immediate jail after providing many character references.

Hussain was described as a caring and useful member of society who helped disadvantaged children.