Torbay woman's £16,000 benefit fraud (From This is The West Country)

Torbay woman's £16,000 benefit fraud

1:10pm Thursday 1st November 2012 in Devon

Torbay woman has received a 12 month Community Order with a requirement to undertake 160 hours unpaid work in the community as a result of her fraudulent benefit claims.

She was also ordered to pay the Council’s prosecution costs of £500 and arrangements are being made for the overpaid benefit to be paid directly to the council.

Ms Catherine Anne Wharton was charged on the 26 October at Torquay Magistrates Court with dishonestly failing to give a prompt notification to Torbay Council, as required, of a change in her circumstances. Ms Wharton pleaded guilty.

The total overpayment resulting from the fraudulent claim totaled £16,893.53 comprising of £14,297.46 in Housing Benefit and £2,596.07 in Council Tax Benefit. This overpayment arose because she failed to notify the council that she was working as a nurse and receiving earnings from the beginning of the claim in September 2009 until January 2012, a period of 27 months.