Community service for woman who wrongly claimed £30,000 of benefits

A woman’s been ordered to do community service after wrongly claiming almost £30,000 in benefits over more than four years.

Nichola Karen Whitlam-Beckett of King William’s Way in Castletown appeared before Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood at Douglas Courthouse.

The 39 year old pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to tell officials of a change in her circumstances between July 2018 and February this year.

The court heard she’d failed to declare payments from ex-partners and hadn’t told the Treasury she’d worked for companies including Silverdale Care, Netcetera and Orchard Recruitment.

Prosecutor Barry Swain told the hearing in total she’d been overpaid £29,829 which she was repaying at the rate of £30 a week.

Mrs Braidwood ordered her to do 200 hours of community service and pay prosecution costs of £125.