A Glenrothes woman has been ordered to perform 150 hours of unpaid work after wrongly claiming more than £25,000 in disability benefits.
Patricia Smith admitted failing to tell the Department of Work and Pensions about a “significant” improvement in her mobility between April 2013 and November 2016.
The 43-year-old, who suffers from the neurological condition transverse myelitis, claimed she needed help with basic day-to-day tasks.
The court was told there was “a lot of evidence” Smith’s condition was “a lot better” than it had been she was first accessed in 2007.
Defence solicitor Yvonne McKenna told the court her client did have the debilitating condition but accepted she had failed to keep in touch with the benefits agency.
She added: “It’s a lifelong condition. It’s not going to go away. It’s not multiple sclerosis but it is very similar to the symptoms of it.
“She has been extremely upset and worried about this. This is really a case of her not keeping in constant contact to fully appraise them of her position at the time.
“Her position is that, particularly in 2007, she was stuck in the house and unable to move without getting severe lumbar pain.”
Smith, of Bighty Crescent, admitted obtaining £25,758.20 in Disability Living Allowance to which she was not entitled.
She failed to declare a reduction in the amount of care and assistance she needed with day to day tasks.
Sheriff James Williamson said: “I’m going to impose a community payback order for 12 months. You will carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.”
