A woman who falsely claimed employed person’s allowance has been ordered to carry out community service.
Katie Astick, 29, of Kirk Michael, pleaded guilty to two charges of making false representation to obtain benefit.
Appearing before Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood, the court heard that Astick had been claiming EPA at an address in St John’s where she said she was living.
However, the government received information that she had not been living at the address or paying rent, with a review of energy usage showing no gas had been used since April 2023, with minimum amounts of electricity being used.
Despite declaring she was paying rent, a review of Astick’s bank account showed no record of her doing this.
She later admitted that she and her child had been living at her parents’ home since April 2023.
The court was told that between August 2022 and October 2023 she was paid £7,081.06 more than she was entitled to.
A probation officer told the court that Astick had intended to move into the home but hadn’t due to plans to renovate that hadn’t happened.
She added that Astick was “embarrassed and remorseful” and began repaying the money having since opened her own business in the north of the island.
Her advocate Darren Taubitz repeated his client’s apologises and said it was a “classic case of someone who has not thought through the consequences of her actions”.
Ms Braidwood said the matter was “too serious” to deal with through a fine and sentenced Astick to 120 hours community service to be completed over the next 12 months.
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