Woman jailed for welfare, housing frauds
File image. © Andrew Bardwell
A 54-year-old woman who ran up Housing Corporation and social welfare frauds totalling $274,591 has been jailed for two years four months, at her Christchurch District Court sentencing.
Beverley Anne Malzard had admitted five charges laid the Ministry of Social Development of dishonestly using a document, one of obtaining by deception, and one of misleading a social welfare officer.
The court had been told she failed to declare she had been working when she completed forms that allowed her a cheaper rent, and was granted a domestic purpose benefit but did not report when she was working and receiving ACC payments.
The summary said that at an interview she said she was aware of her obligations but had not advised of her employment because she believed that she was two separate people. She deliberately presented to her doctor as being unfit to work to continue receiving the sickness benefit.
She received a domestic purpose benefit, a sickness benefit, a community wage job seeker benefit, and an unemployment benefit including supplements to a total of $151,040 which the ministry is seeking reparation for. The Housing Corporation was seeking reparation of $123,551.
Category: News
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