A woman must pay back £3,614 to the Department of Health and Social Care after failing to declare she was working while on benefits.

Hayley Robyn Daugherty, of Demesne Road, Douglas, pleaded guilty to four counts of making a false representation to obtain a benefit.

She claimed income support without telling the department that she had worked as a barmaid.

Prosecutor Rachael Braidwood told the court that Daugherty, aged 22, had been receiving income support benefit since June 18, 2018.

However, a fraud drive exercise by the DHSC found she had been working for Heron and Brearley from May 13 to June 9 and August 11 to November 11.

When she started claiming benefits on June 18 she was asked if she had been in work during the last six months which she said she had not, despite working until June 9.

Daugherty was interviewed at Markwell House and admitted she had been working at the Railway pub in Douglas.

She said that declaring the work had slipped her mind.

A probation report said that Daugherty could offer no real explanation for the offence other than it being a mistake. The report said that she ’wasn’t in a very good place and wasn’t thinking properly’.

Advocate Matthew Wilshaw said Daugherty had made a mistake on the form.

’Asked if she had worked in the last six months she answered "no" on the form. She says she saw the question as "are you working". She then began working again for Heron and Brearley at a different pub.’

Magistrates fined Daugherty £200 and ordered her to pay £50 prosecution costs.