A revenue and customs employee who falsely claimed £33,000 in benefits has been jailed for nine-and-a-half months.
Avril Murray, who worked in the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Dundee call centre, told benefits bosses she was a single mum, but was actually living with her husband.
A sheriff told the 50-year-old first-time offender that she had made a“conscious decision” to carry out the decade-long fraud.
Depute fiscal Vicki Bell told Dundee Sheriff Court: “She was employed atthe Dundee call centre until September 11 last year when she resigned aheadof an interview under caution withinvestigators the next day.
“During the period of heremployment she claimed working and single tax credits, as well as housingbenefit, council tax benefit and a single person’s discount on her council tax.
“These offences spanned 10 yearsfor the tax credits and six years on the housing benefit. A total of £33,000 was fraudulently claimed.
“She didn’t declare that she was living with her husband, who was in full-time employment.
“This case is exacerbated by the fact she was employed by HMRC to answer general enquiries about tax credits, which necessitated her having a good knowledge of the tax credits system and advise on them.
“The effect of excluding her husband and his income from her claim is that she received tax credits at an inflated rate and was given housing benefit as a single person.
“Her husband was interviewed and said he had no knowledge of the claims.
“During a meeting with her manager at HMRC the accused said she had been ‘silly’ claiming as a single person.”
Jim Laverty, defending, said Murray was paying back the money at the rate of £50 per month, adding his client was “under no illusion of the position she is in”.
Murray, 50, of Pitkerro Road, Dundee, admitted charges under the Tax Credits Act and the Social Security Administration Act.
Sheriff George Way told Murray: “You didn’t do this so that you could feed your children. You say yourself that you did this so that your kids could have the things other people had.
“These kind of crimes are really easy to commit, it’s not like planning a bank robbery. Therefore, the court has to look at deterrents. You made a conscious decision.
“I accept that you are sorry but for the persistence, this lasted for a decade.”
Joff Parsons, from InternalGovernance, HMRC, said: “MrsMurray no longer works for HMRC, having resigned the day before she was interviewed under caution.
“This offence, which would be serious no matter who committed it, is made significantly worse by Murray’sthorough understanding of the taxcredits system.
“She knew how serious her actions were as she stole money from taxpayers in Scotland.
“The honest customers Murray would have dealt with day-to-day would rightly expect far higher standards of behaviour from HMRC staff.
“HMRC is committed to high levels of staff integrity and we will investigate any suspected misconduct.”