A Barrow mother has been handed a community sentence after fraudulently claiming nearly £20,000 in benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions over more than three years.
Kaye Halligan, 40, of Portland Crescent, appeared at Preston Crown Court yesterday, where she received a 12-month community order requiring her to complete 80 hours of unpaid work.
The court heard she had obtained £19,609.80 in Universal Credit payments to which she was not entitled between February 2019 and September 2022.
Halligan had previously admitted one count of dishonestly making a false statement to obtain a benefit at a hearing in December last year.
Prosecutor Eleanor Brambell told the court that Halligan submitted her online benefits application on the evening of February 10, 2019, declaring herself single, unemployed, and with financial responsibility for one child.
She claimed to possess no savings or investments, despite holding assets exceeding the £16,000 threshold.
The court learned that Halligan had purchased a property on Prospect Avenue in Barrow for £62,000 back in November 2012, from which she received monthly rental payments directly into her bank account.
The property was valued at £78,000 in 2022.
Kaye Halligan, 40, of Portland Crescent, appeared at Preston Crown Court yesterday, where she received a 12-month community order requiring her to complete 80 hours of unpaid work
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PAMs Brambell explained that Halligan also concealed a £20,000 gift received from her father that same year.
The prosecution emphasised that the deception was “fraudulent from the outset” and continued over an “extensive” period, which represented an aggravating factor in the case.
“When asked why she did not declare, she said she could not afford to,” Ms Brambell told the court.
Halligan maintained during police interviews that she could not recall making the initial claim, stating her “head was all over the place in 2019”.
Kaye Halligan had purchased a property on Prospect Avenue in Barrow for £62,000 back in November 2012, from which she received monthly rental payments directly into her bank account
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PA
She also asserted that her ex-husband had been residing in the rental property, despite it remaining in her name.
The DWP confirmed that Halligan voluntarily ended her benefits claim in September 2022 upon finding employment, before investigators uncovered the deception.
Defence barrister Louise Phillips argued in mitigation that a suspended sentence would adversely affect her client’s employment, noting Halligan had worked diligently in her community for years and served as the primary carer for her daughter.
The court heard she had repaid every penny of the fraudulently claimed sum to the DWP.
“It is sad to see someone like you in court,” Recorder Tim Harrington remarked. “You are of good character and have glowing character references.”
He cautioned that failure to complete the unpaid work could result in imprisonment.
Halligan was additionally ordered to pay £500 towards prosecution costs within 28 days.