A SALE woman who committed benefit fraud amounting to more than £4,000 has been ordered to pay the money back and carry out community work for 12 months.
Nicole Richardson, 34, of Lawson Grove, was found on August 20 to have dishonestly obtained council tax benefit of £4,033.
She pleaded guilty to failing to declare that she had savings of nearly £50,000 and as a result had been overpaid benefit between January 2001 and November 2008.
She was sentenced at Trafford Magistrates’ Court to a community order of 12 months and ordered to pay the money back and a contribution of £365 towards costs.
Council counter fraud officers were alerted to the matter by a data matching exercise that highlighted the account in which the savings were held.
Executive councillor John Tolhurst, said: “We take benefit fraud extremely seriously and are committed to tackling cases of crime against the council tax payer to protect public money. I would urge anybody who suspects benefit fraud is being committed to contact the council."
If you suspect anyone of benefit fraud contact Trafford Council on 0161 912 2852 or via freephone 0800 328 6340.
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