Mum who fiddled £18k in benefits avoids jail
A mother-of-four falsely claimed more than £18,000 in benefits over a two-year period, a court heard.
Mariam Marie Parapia was paid income support and housing and council tax benefit on the basis she was a single mother living alone.
But Telford Magistrates Court heard the 39-year-old was in fact living with husband Asad Ali and claiming fraudulently.
Mr Adam Warner, prosecuting, said £18,107.92 was wrongly claimed between July 2012 and August 2014.
"During that time she received income support and housing and council tax benefit for herself on the grounds that she was a lone parent and had no other income apart from benefits," the prosecutor said.
"She failed to declare there had been a change in circumstances and that Mr Asad Ali did start living with her."
Mr Paul Nicholas, for Parapia, said she was now a single woman again.
He said the claim was not initially fraudulent – the couple married in 2005 but had separated when the initial application for benefits was made.
"A reconciliation did happen but it did not happen overnight, Mr Ali would stay for a couple of nights a week and it just built up over time," Mr Nicholas said.
"He was working but was on a very low income, and she was just trying to do the best for herself and her children.
"She accepts she should have notified a change of circumstances.
"She is currently paying it back at a rate of £29.60 per week, which is an eye-watering amount."
Parapia, of Waggoners Fold, Malinslee, admitted three counts of dishonestly failing to notify a change in circumstances when she appeared at court yesterday.
She was told by magistrates they had seriously considered sending her to jail.
But instead, Parapia was sentenced to 180 hours of unpaid work, made the subject of a curfew between 8pm and 7am for three months, and ordered to pay £425 in costs and court charges.
Chairman of the bench, Mr Alan Pankhurst, told her: "This is a very large and prolonged commission of fraud, over two years and amounting to more than £18,000.
"Custody was a very serious option, but we are not going to impose a custodial sentence today.
"But if an offence was committed by you again of a similar nature, it's extremely likely that you will be sent to prison."
