Fine for mother flouting benefits system

Tue, 15 Dec 2015

A young mother who fraudulently claimed benefits in order to support her family has been fined.

22-year-old Michaela Callow failed to declare details of her work and earnings between July and September saying it had "slipped her mind".

In that time the nail technician from Douglas was overpaid more than £2,000 - at Douglas Courthouse last week she pleaded guilty to five counts of making false representations.

Her advocate said Callow, who is repaying the debt, knew what she'd done was wrong saying she hadn't been "living the high life" and her family was "struggling to make ends meet".

Magistrates fined her £350 saying they accepted the claims weren't fraudulent from the outset and that her remorse was genuine.