A benefits cheat who conned the Department of Work and Pensions out of thousands of pounds has been given nearly 20 years to pay the money back.
Pensioner Ann Bobmanuel will be almost 80 years old by the time she has paid the full sum back, a court was told.
Sheriff Keith O’Mahoney said: “She is making repayments, but by my calculation these repayments will take the rest of her life.
“There is simply no scope for any further financial measure to be set up against her because it would be setting her up to fail.
“This is clearly a serious matter. It is a fraud and requires to be marked by the court.
“However, I recognise that you clearly do suffer from a disability.
“There was a period of improvement of your mobility which you failed to notify. You have started making repayments, albeit small, to the sum which was defrauded.”
Bobmanuel, 60, of Gleneagles Road, Perth, admitted conning the DWP out of £4,879.25 between February 22 and December 19 2017.
She admitted failing to notify the agency of her improved mobility which meant she was not entitled to a higher rate of payment.
Solicitor Jamie Baxter said the benefits agency were continuing to assess his client and said: “It would appear that the consumption of cannabis had an impact on her mobility and there is no doubt that for a period it improved her mobility.
“She has had medical issues all of her life.
“She has not been able to work for 28 years or so. She has been in the benefits system throughout that period.”
Bobmanuel was placed on a community payback order.