A 77-year-old woman who falsely claimed more than £18,000 in benefits was spared jail after she was too ill to attend court.
Elizabeth Anderson, of Machrie Place, was fined £7,500 at Dundee Sheriff Court after admitting claiming the benefits while living in South Africa.
She had previously admitted that between April 2004 and April last year, at Machrie Place, she failed to report to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that she had substantial savings or investments over the required limits and obtained benefit of £18,636.42 to which she was not entitled.
At a previous hearing depute fiscal Bill Kermode said she had made a claim on March 31 2004 claiming she had £3,233 in the bank, had no other properties, was retired and lived on a pension.
He said: “On May 9 2011 the DWP received an anonymous allegation that Anderson had lived in South Africa for over 30 years and only returned home once or twice a year.
“In October 2011 an account in her name was found with over £45,000 when it was closed and transferred to another bank account.
“Another account where the funds were transferred to showed a balance of £78,620.23. A further joint account was found with a balance of over £68,000.”
Her solicitor Theo Finlay said: “She deeply regrets doing this.”
“It probably had a devastating effect on her she’s an elderly woman, her health is not good, and the fact of these proceedings now being against her and the prospect of a custodial sentence being imposed has shattered her physically and mentally.”
He said his client had never been in trouble before and repaid the money in full.
Sheriff Tom Hughes said: “This is an extremely serious offence. It would normally carry a custodial sentence but there are factors to be taken into account here.
“She’s 77 years old, she’s never been in trouble before and as is vouched from her doctor she is suffering from chronic ill health to such an extent where the doctor has indicated she’s not even able to attend court.”