A HANDYMAN claimed housing and council tax benefits while sub-letting out his flat for £18,000, a court heard.

Keith Smith had lived in the council flat in Northway since 2009, working as a handyman and cleaner and claiming housing benefit, council tax benefit and council tax reduction.

But a maintenance worker on a routine job for the city council noticed four eastern European men were living at the flat in Plowman Tower, Westlands Drive.

Prosecutor Jeremy Franklin said officers also received an anonymous tip-off that 45-year-old Smith was sub-letting without permission from the city council.

Mr Franklin told Oxford Magistrates' Court on Monday how Smith had declared "minimal" earnings when claiming benefits, but had been paid £9,635 he was not entitled to.

The court heard he had been given £8,089 in extra housing benefit, £442 in council tax benefits between October 2012 and June 2014 and £1,103 in council tax reduction between April 2013 and June 2014.

At the same time officers found an undisclosed Halifax bank account belonging to Smith, which Mr Franklin said contained £18,000 of rent payments.

Smith admitted dishonestly failing to disclose information to make a gain for himself, failing to notify a change of circumstances affecting entitlement to social security benefit and entitlement to reduction in council tax reduction scheme.

A report from the Probation Service said Smith had sub-let the room because he was too embarrassed to claim Jobseekers' Allowance and wanted to save the council cash.

Emily Stoddart, defending, said her client had become homeless because of his crimes and was now living in a tent.

She appealed for a community order because of his early guilty pleas and previous good character.

Ms Stoddart added: "He is extremely remorseful and does accept full responsibility.

"He is happy to engage with probation at any level.

"Mr Smith has been punished quite severely for this, he lost his accommodation and has been living in a tent."

But she told the court Smith only made £12,000 from the rent, charging £500 a month for the two years.

Presiding magistrate Tom Petersen told Smith, of no fixed abode, that it was a serious matter and added: "Looking at it from the outside it doesn't look very good for the public purse - £18,000 in bank account not declared."

The panel handed Smith a 12-month community order with 100 hour's unpaid work and 20 days rehabilitation requirement.