Benefits cheat netted £20,000

A £20,000 benefits cheat was "relieved" that she was finally found out, a court heard last week.

Mum-of-two Alison Kerr (37) had found it increasingly difficult to live with the deceit, Banff Sheriff Court was told.

But the longer it went on, the harder it was to own up.

"She just stuck her head in the sand," said defence lawyer Stuart Beveridge.

Kerr, of 29 Temple View, Banff, made false claims that she was a lone parent over a three-year period between January, 2005, and January, 2008.

She had originally been entitled to the money, Mr Beveridge said, but when her long-term partner sold his own house and moved in with her she failed to notify the Department of Works and Pensions.

The fraud only came to light because Ms Kerr appeared in court on a domestic violence incident involving her partner, Kenneth White.

Alert benefits staff saw the case reported in the Press, and in-depth inquiries revealed that Mr White had been living with her - thereby making her claims fraudulent.

Mr White insisted to investigating officers that he lived with his mother at her sheltered home, but staff there said they had never seen him. Other detailed inquiries made it clear that 29 Temple View was his home.

As a result of Ms Kerr's deception, she was able to obtain housing benefit, council tax benefit and income support.

Last week, Mr Beveridge said: "She now feels relieved that the matter is out in the open.

"It was constantly hanging over her. She was sticking her head in the sand.

"The longer it went on, the harder it was for her to admit what she had done.

"She takes full responsibility for what she did, and very much regrets it.

"She knows it is a burden to the tax payer, and accepts that it is a serious enough matter for the court to consider a custodial sentence.

"She has no previous convictions and is willing to repay the money."

Sheriff Patrick Davies told Kerr: "Cases of this sort involving this amount of money would readily justify a significant period of imprisonment.

"Fraud like this is a serious crime but appears all too frequently, and I would be sending out an appropriate message to others if I was to impose a prison sentence."

The sheriff said that because of the impact that would have on her children, he was prepared to order her to carry out 200 hours community service.

He pointed out that the Department of Works and Pensions could take out civil proceedings to recoup the money she defrauded, or make deductions from any benefit she is still receiving.