Napier beneficiary faces dishonesty charges over welfare claims

CHARGED: A Hawke's Bay beneficiary is facing a number of dishonesty charges in the Napier District Court. Photo / File

A Napier beneficiary is facing an assortment of dishonesty charges that allege she lied about her circumstances to obtain money she was not entitled to.

Chelsea Hibben, 30, appeared in the Napier District Court yesterday charged with nine counts of using documents to obtain pecuniary advantage and one of providing misleading information.

Most of the charges relate to Ministry of Social Development documents including temporary additional support application, child inclusion, personal details and confirming your circumstances forms.

One charge alleges Hibben wilfully omitted to tell a ministry officer she was living with her partner, Matthew John Roberts, which resulted in her continuing to receive benefits under the Social Security Act 1964 from October 2014 to February this year.

Another alleges the defendant aided Roberts, a labourer, in using a written letter in 2015 to obtain a pecuniary advantage.

Roberts, 33, also appeared in the court yesterday charged with three counts of using a document to obtain a pecuniary advantage and one of giving misleading information.

They were both remanded without plea by a court register and will appear again on January 17.

The maximum penalty for using a document to obtain a pecuniary advantage is seven years' imprisonment, while providing misleading information carries a penalty of one year of jail time or a $5000 fine.