A Bodmin wioman has admitted making false statements over a £16,090 benefit fraud.

On 28 February 2014, Sandra Ives, 59, from Rosedale Gardens, Bodmin attended Truro Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to six offences of making false statement when making claims for Housing and Council Tax Benefit.

A data matching exercise had been carried out and which identified that Sandra Ives had three bank accounts that she had failed to disclose on her benefit claim forms.

After hearing the facts of the case, magistrates sentenced Mrs Ives to a community order of an 8 week curfew, every day from 9 p.m. until 7 a.m. This had been reduced from 12 weeks due to the early guilty plea.

Mrs Ives was also ordered to pay the Council’s investigation costs of £1,006.

The £16,090.42 of Housing and Council Tax Benefit overpaid as result of Mrs Ives failing to declare her bank accounts is being recovered.

Cornwall Council operates a ‘zero tolerance’ policy to fraud and corruption. If you suspect fraud is occurring we would be happy to talk to you on our confidential fraud hotline. Call us on freephone 0800 7316125.