Woman’s benefit fraud totals $55k

A South Taranaki mother has been sentenced to home detention after defrauding about $55,000 from the taxpayer funded benefit system.

Between February 3, 2013 and November 21, 2016, Ha¯ wera woman Toni-Ann Sarsfield was in receipt of a sole parent benefit and an accommodation supplement, income support administered by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD).

The summary of facts said that in signing up for a benefit, the 28-yearold had an obligation to tell MSD about any changes in her circumstances, including if she moved in with a partner.

Following a tip-off, MSD launched an investigation and found Sarsfield had been living with her partner, who is the father of her three children, for much of the time she was getting the benefit.

In all, she received $54,595.78 in benefits she was not entitled to get.

Of this, $49,401.91 related to the sole parent benefit while the remaining $5193.97 was given in the form of an accommodation supplement.

As part of her deception, Sarsfield submitted three forms to MSD between 2013-2015 which contained false information.

In August 2015, she also gave staff a forged letter regarding her accommodation arrangements, which hid her true circumstances.

When Sarsfield was interviewed by ministry investigators in November 2016, she admitted she had lived with her partner at various times and had also used the forged document in order to ensure her benefit payments continued.

As an arrangement is underway for Sarsfield to pay back the money no reparation was sought from the government department.

Sarsfield previously pleaded guilty to six charges related to the benefit fraud, including obtains by deception, dishonestly using a document and using a forged document.

During her sentencing hearing in the Ha¯wera District Court on Wednesday, defence lawyer Neal Harding argued against a sentence of community work being imposed as he said the convictions, along with a term of home detention, were enough of a punishment for Sarsfield, who was a first time offender.

He also asked Judge John McDonald to factor in the remorse Sarsfield had shown since the benefit fraud was uncovered.

The judge gave Sarsfield credit for her lack of previous convictions, her remorse and her early guilty pleas to the charges.

A jail term of 10 months was calculated, which was then transferred to a home detention term of four months.

She was also ordered to complete 150 hours of community work.