A woman who claimed more than $4500 in benefit money while working has received a hefty sentence of community work.
Ianthe Irene Charters pleaded guilty to one charge of misleading a social welfare officer when she appeared before Judge David Cameron in the Whanganui District Court yesterday.
According to the Ministry of Social Development's summary of facts, Charters applied for the domestic purposes benefit in September 2012 but two weeks later entered employment with Affco. She failed to notify the ministry of this, which was in breach of her benefit conditions.
During an interview with ministry staff on November 14, Charters said she hadn't notified the ministry about the job because she thought they knew about it.
From October 6, 2011, to March 17, 2012, Charters was overpaid by $4719.08, the ministry prosecutor said.