A BENEFITS cheat who stole £50,000 of handouts secured a job processing Universal Credit claims.
Chido Vincent, 57, got a Department for Work and Pensions job in 2023, despite his 2014 conviction.
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The Nigerian has now been dismissed from the DWP in Leeds for a matter thought to be unrelated to his conviction.
He was jailed for 18 months for overstaying his visa and using a forged letter to claim benefits.
Mr Vincent said he did not have to disclose his conviction as it was past five years.
He said: “During the recruitment process I was asked everything and I answered honestly.
“They asked for my passport, right-to-work documents – I gave them everything.
“They said they needed to do a DBS. I gave them all the information and it came back fine, so I got the job.”
He added: “I did nothing wrong. I did what was asked of me. I was really shocked and surprised.
“On the DBS it says that if it’s more than five years, there’s no need to declare a conviction.
“What happened to me was 10 years ago so it was considered spent. I presumed there was no issue with me working.
“Now I have to start from scratch again and it’s disappointing.”