Jailed for benefits fraud

Magistrate blasts woman’s $60k Centrelink rip-off

THE sole carer of five children who stole more than $60,000 off Centrelink by falsely claiming Commonwealth benefits has appealed a jail sentence.

Bell Post Hill woman Kacey Elston, 35, was handed a sixmonth jail term, with three months suspended, at Geelong Magistrates’ Court yesterday for falsely claiming $61,883.42 she was not entitled to over a number of years.

Elston, who is a single mother to three biological children and the sole carer to two of her jailed sisters’ children, did not comprehend her jail sentence and asked if she was “free to go” before being taken into custody.

After appealing her sentence, Elston was released on bail to appear before court at a later date.

The court heard Elston, who held stable employment at the same company for 11 years, first failed to correctly declare her income when she claimed single parent benefits between September 28, 2011, and March 28, 2012.

Elston, who pleaded guilty to two charges of obtaining financial advantage from a Commonwealth entity, failed to inform Centrelink of her return to work on May 9, 2013, and failed declare her income for 85 consecutive fortnights to July 26, 2016.

The court heard Elston received more than $69,000 in benefit payments over more than three years when she was only entitled to $7586.28.

Elston’s defence lawyer said the young mother had “a lot on her plate”, regularly volunteered at her children’s sporting groups and was “not using the funds to support a lavish lifestyle”.

The court heard Elston had already paid more than $14,000 back to Centrelink.

“Ms Elston was largely motivated by financial need. While (she was not earning) the lowest income she was a carrying a significant carer burden.”

But Magistrate Michael Coghlan said Elston was on average earning $1500 a week and earned around $255,000 over 160 weeks.

He said Elston “clearly received very regular income” and had “failed to declare any income” at some points.

Elston’s defence that her low verbal comprehension skills led her to make “simplistic decisions” were not accepted by Mr Coghlan, who said Elston had enough skills to hold down supervisor level employment for a long period of time.

“You can’t have it both ways and say ‘I would like a little bit more’,” Mr Coghlan said.

“There is a limited amount that can go around.”

Mr Coghlan said Australians were “sick to death of people ripping off the system” and giving benefits to those who were not entitled. “Nearly every member of the community would be annoyed by the fact that here you were over a period of three years and two months earning roughly $1500 per week and you declared not one cent,” he said.

In sentencing Elston, Mr Coghlan said the court needed to give a sentence that would deter others from committing similar offences.

She was sentenced to six months imprisonment, three months suspended, and ordered to pay compensation.