A woman won £20,000 on Premium Bonds, sold her home and spent a year abroad before falsely claiming thousands in benefits on her return to Kent.
Despite having a large sum of cash in the bank from the property sale, Diana Lucas, from Folkestone, applied for Universal Credit and a reduction in her council tax bill.
Between 2021 and 2024, she received more than £23,000 after making false statements to the Department for Work and Pensions.
But after an anonymous tip-off, the 56-year-old’s accounts were investigated and she was hauled before magistrates earlier this year.
However, Lucas was spared jail when she appeared in court this week, having previously pleaded guilty to dishonestly making a false statement to obtain benefits and dishonestly making a false statement to obtain a reduction on her council tax bill.
Prosecutor Julia Farbrace outlined the facts of the case to Folkestone magistrates on Monday.
She said Lucas, of Pavilion Court, Marine Terrace, claimed Universal Credit in January 2021, saying she was unemployed and had no income and was single, before making a similar claim for a council tax reduction in May that year.
However, magistrates were told that after an anonymous tip-off to the authorities, Lucas’ bank accounts were looked into.
The prosecutor said: “The allegation stated she had not declared her assets and that she’d had a win on the Premium Bonds.
“She had two bank accounts, and it was found she had greater than the excess upper amount allowed to claim Universal Credit and a reduction in council tax.”
The court heard that Lucas, who is of previous good character, had paid the council tax back – but there is “a lot outstanding” in terms of the Universal Credit.
Nigel Riley, defending, said his client is “genuinely remorseful and fully accepts she made a false representation over her savings”.
He said Lucas initially sold her property and “moved to India for a year”, and then came back and made the claim after using her own funds to pay three months’ rent.
“It was totally wrong,” Mr Riley told the court.
He said Lucas had earmarked the £20,000 win on the government-backed savings scheme for her family.
Mr Riley said: “Her daughter knew she had the money and she was giving her money and supporting her, so she made the claim. It was a false declaration.”
Magistrates also heard Lucas had health issues, including severe arthritis and a disc disorder in her back and was waiting for operations to her foot and knee.
Mr Riley added: “It was out of character and she’s very unlikely to come to court again.
“You may take a view it passes the custody threshold, but I ask, if you do, you could consider suspending any sentence of imprisonment and/or place her on a community order.”
Magistrates told Lucas they had discussed the issue at length, and despite agreeing the offences did pass the custody threshold, they informed her they were not sending her to prison that day.
They jailed Lucas for 30 weeks for the Universal Credit offence, but suspended the term for 12 months.
She received no separate penalty for the council tax reduction offence but was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £187 and court costs of £85. She must pay what she owes the court in full within 28 days.