Shrewsbury woman fined over £8,500 benefits claim error

Angela Jones received £8,556 of housing benefit and £1,099.04 in council tax benefit she was not entitled to over a near three-year period, Shrewsbury Magistrates Court was told.

The laundry worker had failed to notify Shropshire Council about extra working hours she had taken on after starting a second job at the Lord Hill Hotel in Shrewsbury.

But the court was told Jones had made the claims in error and had agreed to pay all of the money back.

Jones, 54, of Walton Road, Reabrook Estate, pleaded guilty to a charge of "failing to notify a change in her circumstances which affected her entitlement to housing benefit" when she appeared at court.

Mr Mike Davies, prosecuting, said that the benefits were claimed between August 27, 2011 and May 22 last year.

He said: "This is not a dishonesty case. Mrs Jones has a history of being a claimant under the benefits system, in this particular case that relates to housing benefit."

He said: "In 2014 a referral was made regarding her income support and tax and as a consequence an investigation commenced."

Mr Paul Nicholas, for Jones, said the claims had been an error.

He said: "This is her first contact with the criminal justice system in her life. It is a source of embarrassment that she is here today through her own confusion really."

Mr Nicholas said Jones had attended an interview with the authorities voluntarily and had arranged to pay the money back.

He added: "She is genuinely remorseful and embarrassed, and in her willingness to put things right she contacted the authorities and agreed to pay it back."

Magistrates fined Jones £120, and ordered her to pay costs of £200.