Bristol mum falsely claimed £11,000 in benefits
An alcoholic Bristol mother ripped off the benefit system by more than £11,000 over a period of six years.
If Donna Peates continues to repay the cash at the agreed rate of just over £6 a week, it will take more than 35 years before the debt has been recovered.
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The 33-year-old, of Redford Crescent, Withywood, admitted failing to notify the Department for Working Pensions (DWP) about changes to her situation when she appeared before North Somerset Magistrates Court yesterday.
Robert Reid, prosecuting, told the court Peates had pocketed £11,431.52p in income support payments from October 18, 2001 to August 13, 2007.
The payments were made to the single mother-of-three for her children.
But Mr Reid told the court the eldest child had gone into care in July 2001 and she had continued to claim benefit.
He said her younger children also went into care some years later, on April 27, 2007.
Mr Reid Peates failed to notify the DWP of the change in her circumstances.
The court also heard Peates received a further overpayment in income support of £301.45p between July 16, 2001 and October 17, 2001.
Mr Reid said the DWP only discovered in November 2007 all three children had gone into care.
As a result Peates was arrested and interviewed under caution in January 2008. She claimed that while her eldest child had been in care a number of years, the child had stayed with her a couple of nights each week.
Mr Reid told the court Peates was summoned to attend last month but failed to appear and a warrant was issued for her arrest.
Magistrates were informed Peates had been repaying the overpayment since May last year at a rate of £6.10p a week.
Her debt has only reduced by £170 – the equivalent of 28 weeks' payments – and now stands at £11,260.72p.
Simon Hutchins, for Peates, told the court she had experienced a difficult life and adulthood, having been a victim of domestic violence.
He said her long-term partner of five years had inflicted abuse and had been sentenced to three months in prison last year for an assault on her.
Mr Hutchins added Peates had a difficulty with drugs and alcohol and would drink to "lessen the pain" of the domestic violence.
He asked magistrates to consider a community order or, if they felt a prison term was necessary, that it be suspended.
Magistrates said the offence was so serious, prison was the only sentence they could pass.
But they suspended the nine-week jail term and ordered her to observe a community order over the next year, with a requirement to complete 100 hours unpaid work.
Peates was also ordered to pay £75 in costs.
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by margaret, hartcliffe
Saturday, May 30 2009, 1:13AM
“i agree claiming for children she doesnt even have with her to take care of is wrong, but there is also many women and men who do have children to care for and are penalised for trying to work , if you are a single mum and not always through any fault of your own , it is very hard to find a part time job (if you have young children that cant be left alone) that will pay enough to pay rent council tax and other cost of living , if they were allowed to earn more than £20 before it affected their benefit ,it may make a lot of difference, i didnt notice any m ps names in the paper for fraud did anybody else?”
by david, ashton
Thursday, May 28 2009, 5:56PM
“mek you start off in quite an intelligent manner. yes for the majority benefits are there as a back up in times of need. its just unfortunate that some scum thieve off the system. However you ruin it by saying most jobs go to immigrants. Its not much fun being unemployed, I personally know that but it is riddiculous to blame immigrants for the global recessiona nd job shedding and not be qualified for all jobs. Stop blaming others for your misfortune. You are bing as narrow minded as Sarah”
by mel, bristol
Thursday, May 28 2009, 5:12PM
“Sarah, please do not tarnish everyone on benefits with the same brush, there are many people on benefit, who have no other option, through being made redundent etc, unless you'd rather see them and their children on the streets. some things are out of people's control, you'd do well to remember that, you are lucky to still have a job. i know many who search websites go to the jobcentre daily, there are very few jobs available and most of them go to immmigrants as we cannot be seen to be discriminative. Fraud is wrong whatever way you look at it so yes she is out of order for doing that, but that doesnt mean every body who claims benefits are spongers.”
by Mike Hope, Easton
Thursday, May 28 2009, 3:12PM
“Yet another story about the Department for Work and Pensions' excellent investigators doing their job properly and the courts letting them, and us, down.
I read recently that the government has been cutting back on investigating benefit fraud. Stories like this make my blood boil and I'd like them to double the number of investigators, not cutting them still further.”
by Sarah, Bristol
Thursday, May 28 2009, 1:05PM
“Yet another waster sponging off the state. How many more are there? Getting a bit sick of all the excuses too. We are all struggling at the moment, but I wouldn't dream of doing that sort of thing. I get off my backside and do what every other self respecting member of society does - works harder. These people know damn well what they are doing. The minute you start claiming false benefits you are fully aware of the consequences. She and all other benefit cheats should be ashamed, if they have any shame that is.”