Fraudulent benefit claims

A WOMAN who fraudulently obtained almost £20,000 in benefits has been ordered to carry out unpaid work and placed under supervision.

Jacquelyn Graham, of 24 Sandveien, Lerwick, previously admitted giving false information to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) between 2 April 2010 and 30 July 2014 and receiving income support payments of £10,040.79 she was not entitled to.

The 35 year old also lied to obtain housing and council tax benefit from Shetland Islands Council worth £9,925.74.

The case was previously deferred for a month for Graham to organise a repayment plan and defence agent Tommy Allan said in Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday that his client now has three jobs.

One of Graham’s employers is the SIC, which recruited her as a cleaner.

Both agencies defrauded by Graham have schemes in place to recoup their money, he said, with the DWP able to take a cut of her earnings.

Sheriff Philip Mann decided to give Graham 120 hours of unpaid work in addition to 18 months of supervision.

She was also told to stay within her home address between the hours of 9.30pm and 5am, seven days a week for six months.