16 February 2005
BENEFIT FRAUD CONVICTIONS
Newtownabbey woman, Margaret Rea, was recently convicted in Belfast Court for wrongly claiming benefits from the Social Security Agency.
Ms Rea (61) of Carolhill Road, Newtownabbey did not declare savings when claiming benefits and had dishonestly received more than £2,000 over a period of 13 months.
At the same court hearing Philomena Ewing (47) of Colinpark Street, Belfast was sentenced for claiming benefit whilst she was working. Over a period of eight months she had defrauded the Agency of more than £2,000.
Ms Rea had already repaid the money she had falsely obtained and Magistrate, Des Perry, sentenced her to six months Absolute Discharge and ordered her to pay £25 costs.
In addition to repaying the overpayment, Ms Ewing was sentenced to two years Conditional Discharge and was ordered to pay court costs of £22 with a warning that if she re-offends inside a period of two years, the sentence imposed will be much harsher.
These are the latest of a series of prosecutions brought by the Agency in its drive to clamp down on benefit fraud.
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