Christchurch mother Robyn Anne Lowry swindled the taxpayer out of more than $117,000 by persistently failing to reveal she was in relationship while receiving social welfare benefits.
In the Christchurch District Court yesterday Lowry, 38, admitted providing misleading information and document fraud.
Prosecutor Roz Burnside said Lowry was originally granted the domestic
purposes benefit in August 1995. She claimed to be a solo mother, and agreed to advise of any changes in her circumstances.
From 1997 to 2003 she filled in annual review forms asserting she was not in a relationship.
But last year Work and Income received a tipoff that Lowry had been living for eight years with the father of her three children.
When confronted in October, Lowry admitted she had not told the department about the relationship and had been overpaid $117,099 in DPB and supplementary benefits as a result.
Ms Burnside said a lump sum of $5000 had already been repaid, and Lowry was repaying the rest at $50 a week.
Judge Brian Callaghan remanded Lowry on bail for sentence in early February.
- NZPA
