Woman avoids jail after falsely receiving $80k in welfare payments

The woman admitted last month that she had received almost $80,000 in welfare payments she was not entitled to. Photo / NZ Herald

A Lower Hutt woman has avoided jail for receiving nearly $80,000 in social welfare payments she was not entitled to.

Jacqueline Miriam Peke, 44, was sentenced to 10 months home detention when she appeared in Lower Hutt District Court today.

Judge Peter Butler deferred her sentence until next week so arrangements could be made for her to continue working at a kohanga reo through her sentence.

Last month she pleaded guilty to eight charges of falsely using a document and one charge of obtaining by deception.

Peke started receiving the Domestic Purposes Benefit (DPB) in 1990.

In February 2003, she began working for the Kokiri Marae Keriana Olsen Trust, but failed to mention her change in circumstances to the ministry.

Peke falsely submitted forms to the ministry stating she was not working or receiving other income until December 2011 and continued receiving payments.

She received $78,423 in DPB payments and $719 accommodation supplements, totalling $79,142, the court was told.

Reparation was not sought by the ministry but Anitesh Govind, who represented the Ministry of Social Development, said Peke had made arrangements to repay the money.

It was not known what role Peke was employed in at the trust, as people spoken to could not remember her working there.