Woman with £250,000 made benefits claim
A CARE worker from Beck Row who claimed £8,296 in housing and council tax benefits had more than £250,000 stashed away in a bank account, a court has heard.
Ellen Humphrey, 51, of Sandy Park, pleaded guilty to two charges of making a false statement to obtain benefits when she appeared before magistrates in Bury St Edmunds on Thursday.
Elizabeth White, prosecuting, told the court that on the December 10, 2007, Humphrey declared to officials at Forest Heath District Council that she only had £2,200 split between two bank accounts.
Although changing her claim form in 2008 after taking up a post as a care worker, the court heard that it was not until last April that the authorities found out about the undeclared £270,000, when a matching exercise was undertaken by Forest Heath District Council.
After being quizzed by the authorities, Humphrey said she had inherited the six-figure sum from her husband who died in 2007, before she made the initial claims.
Mrs White said that Humphrey, who has since paid the full amount she wrongly claimed back, admitted during an interview that she knew she had not been entitled to claim benefits and that she had acted dishonestly.
Sandeep Kainth, mitigating, said that Humphrey was told that the money she had received from her husband was to split between their three children and grandchildren.
“Her understanding was that it was not her money and that she had never treated it as her own.
“She is sincere in her apology and is embarrassed about what has taken place.”
Magistrates handed Humphrey a 12-month community order, requiring her to complete 80 hours’ unpaid work, along with ordering her to pay £500 towards court costs.
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