A benefit fraudster who failed to declare income from her ex-partner and a company has been fined £500.

Kirsty Louise Williams had previously denied three counts of benefit fraud, but when a pre-trial review was due to take place, changed her pleas to guilty.

The court heard that the 35-year-old had been overpaid £4,485 in benefits she wasn’t entitled to but is paying that money back to the treasury.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court that Williams had been receiving income support benefits between September 2023 and May 2024, on the basis of being a lone parent and health issues.

In March 2024, an allegation was received that she was not living at the address she had stated.

She was not charged with anything in relation to that, but investigations found that she had received undeclared money into an account from an ex-partner, and a company called Coin Corner.

She was also said to have worked in a voluntary role for the Isle of Man Football Association.

The court heard that she had no previous convictions.

A probation report said that Williams, of Douglas, had received a one-off payment from Coin Corner and had not been used to managing her family finances.

Regarding money paid into the account by her ex-partner, Williams said that he had withdrawn it straight away for his own personal use.

She said that she had only been working for one hour on Tuesdays and Thursday for the Football Association, and had received £120 to £180, but this was money she had paid out and was only getting back.

However, Williams was signed off sick at that time.

The report said that the defendant was not suitable for community service, and supervision was not required as she was already receiving support from appropriate agencies.

Defence advocate Paul Glover asked for credit to be given for his client’s guilty pleas, and lack of previous convictions.

The advocate said that it was a relatively low amount overpaid and asked the court to follow the recommendation of the probation report for a financial penalty or a conditional discharge.

High Bailiff James Brooks told Williams that he had sympathy for her in relation to the payments from her partner, and the unpaid work, but that he could not see any excuse for not declaring the money from Coin Corner.

She will pay the fine and £50 prosecution costs at a rate of £10 per week, deducted from benefits.