Carer Illegally Pocketed £21K In Payments

A single mum-of-three illegally obtained £21,000 in carer's allowance payments by keeping her part-time job quiet.

School cleaner Gaynor Richardson, 46, (pictured) of Bracken Avenue, Croydon pocketed the extra payments for nearly seven years.

She pleaded guilty to failing to notify the Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) of a change in her financial circumstances between June 2, 2003 and January 10, 2010, plus two charges of making a false statement to the (DWP) on or about May 2006 and April 2008.

The claim began in 2000 and Richardson started work three years later. The first-time offender may now face civil proceedings if the DWP pursue compensation.

“You made false statements or representations that your carer's allowance be continued over a long period,” Recorder Freya Newbery told Richardson at Croydon Crown Court.

“You have been overpaid by twenty-one thousand pounds. That is a substantial amount of money.

“You did not act out of dishonesty, but you casually failed to give the right information to the DWP in order to be paid the right amount of benefit.

“Your home circumstances are that you are a single mother with three children, two of them are under eighteen years-old and your eldest has returned to live with you, with your grandchild.”

Richardson was placed on a twelve month community order, which includes 40 hours community service work and was ordered to pay £150 costs.

No compensation order was made by Recorder Newbery who announced: “There is no reasonable prospect of you paying back to the DWP what you owe them in a reasonable time frame.”