£37k benefits taken while Willenhall cook worked
A benefits cheat from Willenhall fraudulently pocketed more than £37,000 while working as a cook, a court heard.
Mary Spittle falsely claimed incapacity benefit, housing and council tax benefit for more than four years by failing to declare she worked, Walsall magistrates heard.
Mr Nick Baker, prosecuting on behalf of Walsall Council and the Department for Work and Pensions, said the 55-year-old started claiming benefits in 2005 on the basis she was unable to work and had no savings.
In June 2007, she started work as a cook for United Care Limited but kept receiving benefits.
Information from her employer showed she was paid monthly and received £6.50 an hour.
Mr Baker said: "Any change in circumstances must be reported to the relevant department. None were reported and benefits continued to be paid."
He said there was a "significant" overpayment in benefits of £37,606.83. Spittle, of Pinson Road, was interviewed by investigation officers from the Department for Work and Pensions and Walsall Council in March last year.
The court was told that Spittle had claimed to be aware of the rules surrounding benefits and the information it was necessary to declare.
Mr Baker said that she claimed she had filled forms in without reading them properly and thought she had been receiving tax credits rather than incapacity benefit.
Spittle appeared in court wearing a black cardigan and brown trousers and spoke only to confirm her name, address, date of birth and to plead guilty to two charges.
She admitted failing to notify Walsall Council about a change in circumstances which would affect her housing and council tax benefits between August 2007 and March 2012.
She also admitted failing to notify the Department for Work and Pensions that she had been working whilst claiming incapacity benefit between June 2007 and February 2012.
The court heard that she had no previous convictions and the claim had not been fraudulent from the outset.
Representing Spittle at Friday's hearing, Mrs Sarb Sehmi said she accepted she should have told the relevant authorities that she had started working and had better control of her finances.
Magistrates deemed the case was too serious to pass sentence due to the large amount of money and the length of time that Spittle had been claiming it over.
They committed the case to Wolverhampton Crown Court where Spittle is expected to appear before a judge for sentence on May 7.
She was released on unconditional bail until the hearing.
