A woman has admitted fraudulently claiming more than £3,500 in council tax benefits she was not entitled to.
Stefanie Lyon appeared in the dock yesterday at Aberdeen Sheriff Court in connection with the matter.
The 39-year-old previously lodged guilty pleas, via letter, to two charges.
Yesterday she appeared represented by defence solicitor Neil McRobert who confirmed the guilty pleas had been tendered correctly.
Lyon admitted, between July 4 2016 and June 1 2019, knowingly failing to give Aberdeen City Council prompt notification of a change in circumstances that affected her entitlement to housing benefit, in that her child care costs ended in June 2016.
And she also pled guilty to obtaining a total of £3,506.33 in council tax reduction by fraud.
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On June 30 2016 Lyon pretended to Aberdeen City Council revenues and benefits service that the circumstances under which she was awarded council tax reduction remained unchanged, inducing the local authority to continue awarding the reduction against her council tax liability.
Sheriff Graeme Napier, addressing Lyon directly, said: “What I’m going to do is I will call for a criminal justice social work report, so there will be a social worker in touch with you.”
The sheriff deferred sentence on Lyon, whose address was given in court papers as Hillside Crescent, until next month to allow time for the social work report to be prepared.
A crown narrative of events will be read at the next calling of the case, and Mr McRobert also reserved mitigation until the sentencing hearing next month.
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