A woman from Pembroke has been fined in court after admitting benefit fraud.
Fifty-five-year-old Katrina Hall, of Long Mains, Monkton, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court, on Tuesday, to plead guilty to charges of failing to notify Pembrokeshire County Council and the Department for Work and Pensions, of a change of circumstances that would affect her entitlement to housing benefit and income support.
Prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones told the court that the claims were made between the period of December 15, 2014 and November 5, 2015.
“She was legitimately claiming income support and housing benefit, but at a time from December 2014, received inheritance from her mother’s estate, to which she should have notified the council and DWP about a change of circumstances, but failed to do so.
“The fraud team became aware of the matter after about a year, and by then the defendant said that she’d practically spent the inheritance and had none left,” he explained, stating that the overpayment in benefits came to £5,402.89.
Defence solicitor Mike Kelleher said that it was a ‘difficult and upsetting’ time for Ms Hall after her mother died,
“With the inheritance, she paid off debts and decorated her property and her daughter’s property. She restarted the claim again in April, and is now paying the debt back at £18.50 per month, and has £711.68 left to pay back.
“It was very very unfortunate circumstances, but she made a full admission and is of clean character previously,” added Mr. Kelleher.
Magistrates fined the defendant £80 and ordered her to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a £20 victim surcharge.