Mother of Labour MP Carmel Sepuloni admits $100K benefit fraud

Labour MP Carmel Sepuloni. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The mother of Labour MP Carmel Sepuloni and her partner have admitted 23 benefit fraud charges totalling nearly $100,000.

Beverley Anne Sepuloni and partner Michael Charles Rangi entered guilty pleas to the charges, committed over more than a decade until last year, when they appeared before Judge Allan Roberts in the New Plymouth District Court today.

Beverley Anne Sepuloni (left) and her supporters leave New Plymouth Courthouse.

The charges arose from neither defendant informing government agencies that they commenced a relationship in October, 2003.

The court heard that Rangi was on the dole and also getting an accommodation supplement, while Sepuloni was on a sickness benefit and getting an income-related rental rate for her Housing NZ house.

Sepuloni faced 19 charges of defrauding the State for a total of $33,856 and Rangi four charges totalling $62,351.

Judge Roberts remanded the couple at large and ordered them to appear for sentencing on March 31.

Carmel Sepuloni has been stood down by Labour leader Andrew Little from her social development spokeswoman role while her mother's case is before the court because of a potential conflict of interest. However, she is expected to be reappointed to the role in the future.