A social security worker has admitted fraud after stealing £1,000 in Manx Earnings Replacement Allowance (MERA) benefits.

Michelle Burt wept in court as she pleaded guilty to an offence of fraud by abuse of position.

The 46-year-old set up a benefits claim in a fictitious name but had the money paid into her husband’s account.

She will be sentenced on September 15 after a probation report has been completed.

Prosecuting advocate Roger Kane told the court how Burt was working at Markwell House when the MERA benefit was introduced.

The allowance was introduced from April 6 this year and provided an income of £200 a week to people who have either been laid off or made redundant from their employment, or have lost their self-employed work, since March 2. It reduced to £100 a week from August 3.

An online application system was put in place.

However, Mr Kane said that a number of claims had been flagged since the benefit was introduced.

One such claim, which was made in the name of Bradinski, with an address of Kerroo Coar, Peel, was found to have no national insurance number linked to it.

Records showed that the MERA benefit for the Bradinski claim was being paid into an account in the name of Kevin Burt, the husband of Michelle Burt, and that she had been processing the claim.

The Bradinski account was created on April 23 by Michelle Burt and £1,000 had been paid into it, despite it not being a valid claim. Payments were set to continue until June 28 and would have amounted to £2,400 by then.

On May 14 Burt, who lives in St Mark’s Road, Braaid, and is social security administration officer, was suspended from her Department of Health and Social Care job and on June 10 she was arrested.

When interviewed she admitted setting up the MERA account but said she didn’t know why she did it. Burt said that her husband knew nothing about the fraud and that she would pay the money back.

Mr Kane said that the offence had led to suspicion being placed on her husband who had no knowledge of the crime.

High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said that the maximum sentence for this type of offence in summary court is two years’ custody.

The court heard that Burt has no previous convictions.

Defence advocate David Clegg told the court that his client had brought a cheque for £1,000 with her to repay the money but asked for the case to be adjourned for a probation report to be compiled.

High Bailiff Mrs Hughes ordered that the report consider all options, including custody.

Bail was granted in the sum of £500, with conditions that Burt live at her home address, co-operate with probation, and not leave the island without court consent.