A woman’s benefit frauds over more than seven years clocked up overpayments totalling $208,945.
The Ministry of Social Development said it was not wanting the Christchurch District Court to order reparations payments when the 49-year-old pleaded guilty to 20 charges.
Instead, it has taken steps under the Social Security Act to recover money from the woman.
She admitted two charges of obtaining money by deception and 18 charges of dishonestly using a document – various forms she signed while receiving benefits from October 2008 to March 2016.
Judge Jane Farish remanded the woman on bail for sentencing on June 14, and granted interim name suppression for the court to consider an application for a discharge without conviction.
The court was told that the woman had gone onto the Domestic Purposes Benefit in 1992, but failed to tell the authorities she had obtained work from 2007.
She noted someone as her partner on her employment documents and inquiries showed that she had been living in a marriage-type relationship from 2008.
Social welfare staff then calculated overpayments totalling $208,945 from the domestic purposes benefit, sole parent support benefit, accommodation supplement, disability allowance, and temporary additional support.
When the woman was interviewed, she said she was aware of her obligations but had not told the department about her change of income and it was her own “stupid fault”. She acknowledged she was in a defacto relationship.
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