YOUNG MUM'S BENEFIT SCAM TO 'BETTER HER FAMILY'

Published 27 Jul 2009 17:42

A YOUNG mum who tried to 'better herself' by going to college was caught out scamming benefits after failing to tell the authorities about a student loan.

Laura Nani, 29, had vowed to improve her lot after her young family had grown up and eventually got on a health and fitness course at Kilmarnock College.

But, having applied for a student loan she failed to inform both East Ayrshire Council and the Department for Work and Pensions - from whom she was receiving housing benefit and income support respectively.

Solicitor Jamie McGhee told Kilmarnock Sheriff Court that Nani, of Lainshaw Street in Stewarton, had gone to college later than was normally the case.

"By the time she started she was already living away from home and was a single parent," he said.

"She was on benefits and saw that as one compartment in her life. But she then decided to better herself and enrolled on a health and fitness course at a local college."

Mr McGhee said that she saw the loan as simply that, a payment which would help her through the course and would require to be repaid.

He said that she accepted that she should have told of her change in circumstance though.

The lawyer added that an agreed repayment scheme had been made with the council while the DWP had given a month's grace for Nani to buy her kids school uniforms.

She admitted to fraudulently obtaining £3200 in Income Support and £513 in housing benefit between September 2005 and April 2008.

Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane fined Nani £200.

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