A BELBROUGHTON woman has been sentenced to 100 hours of unpaid work, after she entered a guilty plea to charges of fraudulently claiming Housing Benefit.

33-year-old Helen O’Nions, of The Glebe in Belbroughton was sentenced at Redditch Magistrates Court on Tuesday, December 15, after pleading guilty to the charges of fraudulently claiming nearly £7,000.

O’Nions claimed £6,798.37 between February of 2014 and September of this year, failing to let the local authorities know that her earnings had increased.

Officers at Bromsgrove District Council launched an investigation into the incident as a result of a data match, between the authority and HMRC which is designed to prevent and detect fraud.

The court heard how a substantial amount of money was involved in the fraud, and how O’Nions had dishonestly failed to report her increased earnings, despite contacting the council during the time of her claim.

O’Nions was sentenced to a 12 month community order with 100 hours of unpaid work, and she was also ordered to pay court costs of £150, Crown Prosecution Service costs of £135, and a £60 victim surcharge. The overpaid benefits will now be recovered by the council through their own methods.

A spokesperson for Bromsgrove District Council, said: “This case once again demonstrates the importance of declaring true circumstances when claiming benefit and reporting any changes as they take place. Failure to do so may lead to a criminal record and could have an impact on future claims.”

If anyone is aware of someone falsely claiming benefits, or wants to report a case of suspected benefit fraud, they can do so by contacting the Investigation Team at Bromsgrove District Council during office hours on 01527 534011 or writing to fraud@bromsgrove.gov.uk.