A Birkby woman has pleaded guilty to more than £4,000 of benefit fraud.

Georgina Stubbs, of Heathdale Avenue, appeared at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court this morning.

She admitted to two charges of dishonestly failing to notify a change of circumstances affecting her entitlement to housing benefit and pension credit.

The offences occurred between August 2014 and January last year.

The Huddersfield court heard that Stubbs claimed the benefits on the basis that neither she nor her partner Frank Brook had any other income or were working.

However, it transpired that Mr Brook then began work for an engineering firm for 40 hours a week.

Stubbs did not inform Kirklees Council or the Department for Work and Pensions about this change in their circumstances.

The 65-year-old was overpaid £4,345 in benefits she was not entitled to as a result.

Kirklees Magistrates' Court
Kirklees Magistrates' Court

Marnat Ali, mitigating, said that the case was not fraudulent from the outset.

He explained that his client had worked for the majority of her life but was forced to retire in 2011 due to a botched operation for carpal tunnel syndrome.

Stubbs said she failed to report her partner’s change of circumstances because she was unwell at the time.

Magistrates heard that the money is now being repaid by Stubbs.

They sentenced her to a curfew for eight weeks between 7pm and 7am.

Stubbs also has to pay £85 costs and £60 victim surcharge.