A Sydney woman has been sentenced to 22 months of community corrections order after taking nearly $150,000 in Centrelink payments by falsely claiming that she was a single parent.
34-year-old Toni-Maree Richardson failed to inform Centrelink for eight years that she was living with her partner Lynley Barnes, the father of her five children, enabling her to receive $149,035 in Newstart and Parenting Payment funds.
Daily Mail Australia reported that Richardson had been providing false information to the welfare agency since September 2009, after she gave birth to her and Barnes’ first child.
She reportedly listed her relationship status as ‘single’ on Centrelink and Medicare forms, even though she had been living with Barnes since 2008 and had a joint health cover with him.
She continued to declare her status as ‘never married or lived with a partner’ in subsequent claims for financial support following the birth of her twin sons in early 2011, her fourth child in 2013 and her fifth child in 2015.
In November 2017, police discovered that Richardson had been living with her partner in a home raid.
Police seized Richardson’s documents, photographs and mobile phone, and discovered the texts telling Barnes what to do if Centrelink inquired about their relationship.
“I’ve just been on the phone to Centrelink and they are making inquiries into maintenance that you pay, I told them you buy formula and nappies every fortnight and pay for all sporting activities,” one of the texts from Richardson read.
Richardson admitted to the misinformation in a police interview in November 2017 and pled guilty to one charge of obtaining financial advantage.
The NSW District Court sentenced her to a 22-month intensive corrections order, including 462 hours of community service. She was also ordered to repay the entirety of the welfare payments she received.
