A benefit fraudster who didn’t declare her partner was living with her has been fined £800.

India Hough was overpaid £5,570 as a result of the offence.

The 28-year-old had previously denied the allegation, with a trial set to take place, but on Thursday, January 16, she changed her plea to guilty.

The guilty plea came after an agreement was made to amend the dates on the charge.

Hough has already begun repaying the benefits at a rate of £80 per month.

The court heard that the defendant had claimed Employed Persons Allowance from May 2023.

Her claim was not fraudulent from the outset, but information was later received that her partner had moved back in with her and she had not declared the change of circumstances.

Bank statements were accessed, and her address was put under surveillance between November 20 and January 12.

Her partner was seen leaving the property each morning.

Hough, who lives at Governor’s Hill in Douglas, was interviewed by the Department of Health and Social Care, and said she had separated, but that her ex looked after the children while she worked.

She claimed that he didn’t stay and left when she returned from work.

The court heard that she has no relevant previous convictions.

A probation report said that Hough accepted that she had failed to inform the department about a change in her circumstances.

She told probation that she had been working until 1am, so her partner had been there late, and that he had been coming to see the children before school, but that they had now resumed their relationship.

The report said that the defendant was not suitable for community service due to her childcare issues and had no need of supervision.

Hough was represented in court by advocate Louise Cooil, who said that, although her client had entered her not guilty plea in May last year, she had offered to plead guilty to the different date period in June, but her offer had been declined by the prosecution.

Ms Cooil said that, before the trial was due to take place, she had contacted a new prosecutor who was handling the case, and they had then agreed to the dates proposed.

The advocate said that there had therefore been a long period when Hough had been waiting for her trial, when the guilty plea could have been agreed much sooner.

Ms Cooil asked magistrates to take that into account and said that similar to other defendants who had come before the court, Hough had been claiming benefits while in the midst of a tricky relationship situation.

Magistrates made no order for prosecution costs and Hough will pay the fine at a rate of £20 per week, deducted from benefits.