Rodington woman given community service order for benefit fraud
A woman from Rodington has been given a two year community service order after admitting three charges of benefit fraud.
Maureen Carson 53, of Riverdale, admitted at Telford Magistrates, one charge of dishonestly failing to declare a change in her circumstances and two charges of dishonestly making a false statement in order to obtain Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, to which she knew she was not entitled.
The court was told that she dishonestly claimed a total of £22,421.32 over a period of over five years and three months in a case brought by Telford & Wrekin Council. The offences took place between May 2007 and July 2012.
Telford Magistrates Court heard that the offences related to Miss Carson failing to declare that she had been awarded an Occupational Pension following the death of her partner.
In addition to paying back the overpaid benefit, Miss Carson was sentenced to a 24 month Community Service Order with a supervision element and ordered to pay £415 costs.
