Electronic tag for benefit cheat woman (From St Helens Star)

Electronic tag for benefit cheat woman

7:00pm Wednesday 20th February 2013 in News

A 42-YEAR-OLD who cheated more than £37,000 in benefits has been given a suspended prison term.

Janice Smith, 42, of Waine Street, failed to notify the authorities when she started with her employed partner, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

It resulted in fraudulent claims of £34,969 in income support, £1,785 in housing benefit and £543 in council tax benefit.

After admitting three charges of benefit fraud, she was sentenced to a 20-week jail term suspended for 12 months.

In that time Smith will be under a supervision order, and for the next six weeks she will wear an electronic tag as part of a curfew order.

The case was brought by the Crown Prosecution Service following a joint investigation involving St Helens Council and the Department for Work and Pensions.

To report benefit fraud contact the council’s dedicated hotline on 0800 953 0217.