Kirkmichael woman admits to fraud

Jul 10 2009

A WOMAN claimed her dad’s pension for more than three years after he died.

Diane Elliot, of Kirkmichael, admitted making £20,000 worth of fraudulent claims by falsifying claim forms.

Paisley Sheriff Court heard the 58-year-old had cared for her mother and father until they were admitted to hospital. They later died within a week of each other.

Elliot went on to make false claims and withdraw £500 a month from the pension scheme to keep up mortgage payments on the property they had shared in Newton Mearns, Glasgow.

Her deceit came to light when Morrisons stores, where her father was a former employee, discovered he was dead. She pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining the money between December 2003 and February 2007.

Sheriff Ruth Anderson deferred sentence on Elliot, giving her four months to sell her house and pay back the cash.