A woman who scammed more than £26,000 in benefits after lying that she was a single parent has been spared a period of imprisonment.
Sharon Stott claimed she was a single parent for more than three-and-a-half years.
But in reality she was living with husband Jason Stott.
Had she told the truth she wouldn’t have been entitled to the working and child tax credits she was claiming.
However, her lies allowed her to fraudulently obtain £26,683.03 to which she was not entitled.
Stott, 47, of Hoylake Gardens, pleaded guilty to a charge under the Tax Credits Act 2002 committed between November 22 2013 and June 8 2017.
Her not guilty plea to fraudulently obtaining £9,134.47 in tax credits between April 2012 and April 2013 was accepted by the Crown.
Sheriff James MacDonald sentenced Stott to a community payback order with 200 hours unpaid work and 20 months supervision. She was also ordered to pay back the sum of £2,650 during the course of her order.
Sheriff MacDonald told Stott: “The sentencing guidelines appear to suggest I’m almost inevitably bound with a starting point of a significant custodial sentence unless I find the most exceptional circumstances.
“However, having considered your circumstances I have come to the view an alternative to custody is appropriate.”
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