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A woman made a false claim for £19,000 benefits when she received money for caring for her sister that she was not entitled to. Anne Fraser later said that she “never made the call” to the DWP.

Ms Fraser initially made a legal claim for carers’ allowance in 2009 on the grounds that she cared for her sister for 35 hours a week. However, between 2014 and 2020, when she worked two different jobs, she earned more than she was allowed to claim, said Ilana Fraser, a prosecutor at Birmingham Crown Court.

She said the total overpayment was £19,864 and when interviewed Fraser said there were other things going on in her life. Fraser, 62, of Tower Road, Sutton Coldfield, who had previously admitted to two counts of failing to notify changed circumstances, was sentenced to a 12-month community order.

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Registrar D Richards told him: “Your failure to notify the DWP was not just a slip of the mind. It was a deliberate thing you chose not to do for your own benefit. Over a period of time, it removed you from the public.” taken into account that she had a previous good character and had returned much of the money.

“You are your sister’s caretaker in a supervisory role, making sure she’s safe.” Franscesa Perera, defending herself, said that she was sorry for what she had done.

He said Fraser’s sister was 59, with a mental disability and other health problems, including arthritis, and working part-time. The defendant helped her cook basic meals, provided her with financial assistance, made sure she took medication, and did all of her shopping.

Miss Perera said she had helped another of her sisters get through a toxic divorce, had become fearful and had “buried her head in the sand” regarding money.

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