A MELTHAM woman who falsely claimed more than £7,000 in benefits has appeared in court.
Jackie Wood, of Mill Moor Road, admitted failing to inform the Department for Work and Pensions and Kirklees Council that she was in full time education.
She continued to claim Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) and housing and council tax benefits to which she was not entitled.
The 55-year-old appeared before Kirklees magistrates sitting in Huddersfield yesterday.
Malcolm Parkinson, prosecuting, said that Wood started claiming the benefits in August 2010 on the basis that she was unemployed and had no source of income.
The same year she began a course at Huddersfield University and received a student loan.
But she later made a claim for benefits again, declaring that she had failed her exams and couldn’t go back to university in September.
Mr Parkinson said that Wood’s benefits were stopped briefly in January 2011 when she began work.
In April she was paid JSA again when the business was closed down.
But the prosecutor said that in July the department received information from the Student Loans Company.
It said that Wood had continued to receive a student loan as she had re-registered for her course.
Mr Parkinson said: “She was still in education when she was claiming and failed to report her change of circumstances.
“She knew the rules of claiming and that being a full time student could effect her benefit. She acted dishonestly and said she failed to report her change in circumstances because she was in debt.”
Mr Parkinson said that between August 2010 and July 2011 Wood received an overpayment of £7,820.
Wood wept as magistrates were told the claim was genuine at first.
They heard that she had believed that she wouldn’t be allowed to continue her course until a friend told her otherwise.
Magistrates told Wood that they needed a full report before they could sentence her. The case was adjourned until April 23.
