Shropshire Star

Telford mother falsely claimed £21,000 in benefits

A mother who falsely claimed £21,000 in benefits over two years did so to help care for her daughter after she was returned to her from foster care, a court heard.

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Louise Porton had previously admitted failing to notify authorities of a change in circumstances but the case was passed up to Shrewsbury Crown Court for sentencing because of her previous convictions.

Miss Balvinder Bhatti, prosecuting, said that Porton's initial claim for employment support allowance and council tax benefits had been legitimate, but for a period of nearly two years she had failed to declare that she had been living with her partner in Telford.

Miss Bhatti said that a total of £20,914 had been falsely claimed between July 5, 2011 and June 2013.

She added that Porton, 43, had initially denied living with her partner, at one point suggesting that she was his carer.

The court was told that when the offence was first prosecuted no repayments had been made but Porton had since been paying back via deductions in her benefits.

Miss Bhatti said that Porton had two previous convictions for offences of dishonesty in 2003 and an offence involving tax credits in 2007.

Porton was given a 30-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months, with six months of probation supervision and ordered to attend a benefit fraud workshop. For Porton, who now lives at Wigmore Place, Stoke-on-Trent, Ms Lisa Hancox said the defendant suffered from physical and mental health problems.

"The offending started as a result of her 11-year-old daughter being returned to her care from social services foster care, and trying to provide for her," she said.

"She's a lady with difficulties, doing her best to support her family," she added.

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