A father and daughter have admitted a benefit fraud which resulted in her being overpaid £14,755.

William Peter Hay fraudulently signed benefit forms on behalf of his daughter, Rachel Jayne Hay, declaring that she was still in the island, when she was actually living in Manchester.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of benefit fraud and one of supplying articles for use in frauds, while she admitted five counts of benefit fraud.

The duo will be sentenced on May 19 after probation reports have been prepared.

Prosecuting advocate Hazel Carroon told the court how Rachel Hay, who is 48, was receiving income support benefit from May 2017, on the basis of being a single mother.

Her address was given as Urley Path in Douglas.

However, in December 2021, information was received suggesting that she was living in the UK with a partner.

On December 15, Department of Health and Social Care representatives visited Hay’s address and were told by her daughter that her mum was living in the UK, and that she treated her Isle of Man address as a holiday home.

Forms submitted by Hay were examined further and ones which had been submitted later appeared to have a different signature.

Access was gained to her Barclays bank account and it showed that the majority of her spending in the last 12 months had been in the UK.

Hay attended an interview with the DHSC and continued to claim that there had been no change in her circumstances.

When asked about an address in Gorton in Manchester, she said that her partner lived there, and that she would sometimes stay there for 10 to 14 days at a time.

Hay said that she had stayed a little longer on her last visit there.

When quizzed about her bank statements, Hay initially said she came back to the island often, but then conceded that she had not returned very much in the last year.

Hay then admitted that her father had been signing and submitting forms for her fraudulently.

This had resulted in her being paid £14,755.67 in benefits which she was not entitled to.

Ms Carroon submitted that the case was suitable for summary court sentencing.

William Hay, who is 72 and lives at Heather Crescent in Pulrose, was interviewed and admitted he had completed and signed five documents in total while his daughter was off the island.

Asked why, he said: ‘She had told me to and I was helping my daughter out.’

The court heard that Rachel Hay has begun paying the money back.

Both parties have no previous convictions.

Defence advocate Paul Rodgers, representing William Hay, said: ‘It was not a sophisticated offence. Mr Hay simply wrote her name in his own handwriting.’

Matthew Wilshaw represented Rachel Hay and asked for a probation report to be completed before sentencing.

Bail was granted for both in the sum of £500.