Benefits cheat wrongly claimed £37,000

56-year-old given 12-month suspended sentence

Report from BBC Isle of Man

A benefits cheat who fraudulently claimed £37,000 in income support four years after a separate £39,000 scam has been sentenced.

Julie Corlett, 56, failed to notify social security staff that her partner was receiving a government occupational pension and had three bank accounts.

She was handed a 12-month sentence, suspended for 18 months.

Deemster Graeme Cook said had it not been for her "eventual honesty", she would have been jailed immediately.

Douglas Courthouse heard the offences had come to light when Corlett, of Lord Street in Douglas, filled in a review form for the benefits on 5 November last year and admitted her partner's income.

A subsequent investigation by social security staff found Corlett's partner, who she lives with, was receiving pension payments and had about £20,000 in one of his Lloyds bank accounts.

The probe revealed the fraudulent income support claims stretched back to 24 June 2018.

The court heard due to the coronavirus pandemic, reviews of claimants' eligibility for benefits had stopped happening routinely, and the November exercise was the first Corlett had faced since signing a form declaring neither she nor her dependants had any earnings, income or savings in 2018.

However, the court was also told that it was made clear to everyone in receipt of benefits that the onus was on them to report any change of circumstances to the government.

Corlett pleaded guilty to making a false representation on the initial claim form and failing to promptly declare a change in circumstances.

Prosecutors said the claim had been fraudulent from the outset.

Her defence advocate argued she had had "some trouble" filling in the initial form, but did not take the assistance on offer because she did not want to "look foolish by asking for help".

She said Corlett now had no income as she "does not want to apply for any benefits for fear of ending up back here in court", and was reliant on the income of her partner for whom she acted as a carer.

Deemster Cook said the reality was that she had spent more than four years claiming benefits she was "not entitled to".

Suspending the jail term, he also handed her an 18-month supervision order.

He said: "I'm giving you an opportunity. If you do not comply then you will be going to prison."