Coagh woman claimed £19,000 in benefits whilst living in the US

A TYRONE woman who illegally claimed over £19,000 in benefits whilst living abroad has been ordered to carry out community service.

Fiona McIvor (46), of Cleneyarde, Coagh, pleaded guilty at Dungannon Magistrates Court to all the charges she faced.

The court heard that from 2003, McIvor had claimed Income Support and Housing Benefits totalling £19,565 whilst failing to declare that she was living in the United States.

It also heard that as of September 2024, she had made no further contact in an attempt to repay the money she claimed.

It was stated that McIvor claimed Housing Benefits for a house she did not live in, and Income Support for caring for a family member, despite not residing in the North.

A defence solicitor told the court McIvor’s brother had been staying in the house of which she was claiming Housing Benefits for and explained that whilst McIvor had planned to visit her sister in the US for a brief period, she ended up meeting a man and having children, significantly prolonging her stay.

The defence solicitor asked for credit in relation to McIvor’s guilty plea and further highlighted her low likelihood of re-offending.

District Judge Rafferty highlighted concerns that in 2018, a benefits form had been signed by McIvor, despite the fact she was not in the country, leading him to assume that someone else had signed it on her behalf.

The judge described this as ‘a practised and lengthy deception in order to fake is as much money as she could while in the USA’.

The court also heard that McIvor refused to consent to community service due to suffering from an anxiety disorder that prevents her from leaving her home.

Upon sentencing, Judge Rafferty described the case as ‘a matter of some vintage’.

“It is clear that you are a person of good character,” said Judge Rafferty.

“However, when I read the details of this case, I was quite shocked. You wilfully continued to claim, taking benefit from other who are more deserving and more in need of them.”

Judge Rafferty said whilst he ‘could be sympathetic’ that McIvor suffers with anxiety, there was a ‘lack of sympathy’ regarding the deception of authorities.

McIvor was ordered to serve 160 hours of community service and was told to ‘consider the choices’ she had made.