Cancer carer should not have claimed benefits
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A TURRIFF woman wrongly claimed £6,000 in benefits while looking after her husband who has cancer, a court heard.
Sandra Thomson (50), of 52 Forglen Crescent, was entitled to claim the Carer’s Allowance, Banff Sheriff Court was told.
However, her mistake was in not informing the Department for Work and Pensions and Disability and Carers Service of her change in circumstances when she started working for Tesco in Inverurie, where she was employed between August 19, 2006 and April 25, 2010.
"She would still have been entitled to an allowance, but just at a different rate," said her defence agent Debbie Wilson.
"She is not making excuses. She would have been allowed to work a certain amount of hours, but she didn’t not inform anybody about her change of circumstances.
"She is embarrassed about being in court, and has being repaying the benefits people at £150 a month for the past year."
Sheriff Marion McDonald deferrred sentence on Thomson until September 20 for a social inquiry report and community service assessment.
