Widow admits £63k benefits fraud

Sunday 20 October 2019

A widow has admitted that she hid the fact she owned property in Madeira to gain almost £63,500 in benefits she wasn’t entitled to.

63-year-old Maria Teresa Vieira appeared on Friday in the Royal Court, where she was formally charged with “knowingly furnishing false information or withholding material information with intent to obtain an award".

The charge states that the offending occurred between September 2011 and March of this year and that the information Vieira failed to disclose to Social Security was that she owned a property abroad.

Over the eight-year period, Vieira “falsely obtained” a total of £63,459.45 due to this omission.

Advocate George Pearce, representing Vieira, indicated his client’s ‘guilty’ plea to the offence. 

Pictured: The case involved nearly £63,500 of benefits fraud.

Crown Advocate Conrad Yates, prosecuting, described the offending as “very serious”, and invited the Court to adjourn the matter for sentencing on 22 November.

The Bailiff Tim Le Cocq - sitting with Jurats Blampied and Pitman - presided over the hearing.

Vieira was remanded in custody until her sentencing.