A woman who failed to declare that she was working as a carer while claiming benefits has been convicted of benefit fraud totalling £5,682.

Wendy Helen Jean Dunnigan, of West Grenaby Road, in Ramsey, admitted failing to declare she was working as a housekeeper while claiming benefits.

Dunnigan, aged 37, pleaded guilty to six counts of benefit fraud on Tuesday.

She will be sentenced when she appears before Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes on November 6.

The adjournment is to allow time to assess if she is suitable for community service.

Injury

Prosecutor Rachael Braidwood told the court how Dunnigan was claiming income support benefit from April 2014.

She began claiming incapacity benefit in December 2015 due to a back injury.

However, information was received that she was working as a carer for an elderly gentleman in Ramsey.

She was put under surveillance over five weeks and was seen driving to the man’s address two to four times a day, five or six days a week.

In April 2016 the man was spoken to and said that Dunnigan had worked as a self-employed housekeeper for him for 12 months.

He said that he paid her £12.50 an hour and also gave her additional money for sleeping over and shopping.

When interviewed, Dunnigan was asked if she had been working and said: ’Apparently I have.

’I’ve never seen what I do as work.

’I get him out of bed, make lunch.’

She said that she passed some of the money on to other people who also did work for the man.

The man provided time slips written by Dunnigan and it was calculated that she had been paid £7,304 between April 2015 and April 2016.

The man’s granddaughter said that Dunnigan had approached her and asked her not to release any information.

Presented with the evidence of one witness Dunnigan said: ’She can stick that where the sun don’t shine.’

She eventually admitted she had been lying and had been working.

She explained that she was in financial difficulty due to having to pay £950 rent per month.

The court heard that Dunnigan had started paying back the benefit overpayment and had so far refunded £220.