"Single parent" benefit fraud

A Cleland woman was caught claiming she was a single parent to claim benefits she wasn’t entitled to.

Michelle Gallacher admitted making false statements to North Lanarkshire Council on a housing benefit application between April 2016 and May 2017.

She appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to two counts of benefit fraud.

On the housing benefit application, Gallacher stated that she was a single parent living alone and that state benefits were her only source of income when in fact she was living with her husband.

Because of this she received £3200 of housing benefit she shouldn’t have claimed.

Gallacher also admitted failing to notify the Department of Work and Pensions officials of a change in circumstances due to living with her husband and claiming £5300 of Income Support she wasn’t supposed to.

The offence took place between January 2015 and February 2017.

Sheriff Linda Nicolson sentenced Gallacher to 180 hours of unpaid work which must be completed within the next nine months.

This was reduced from 240 hours on account of Gallacher’s earlier guilty pleas.

Source