May 11, 2022

Carer ordered to repay $108,000 to Centrelink after failing to declare income

Maroochydore nurse Karen Delores Swartz, 59, received the Centrelink assistance between January 2014 and March 2019 even though she had gained employment and was no longer entitled to the allowance.

The court heard Ms Swartz had failed to notify Centrelink of her change in employment status.

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) discovered she was receiving the payments after the ATO did a data match in 2018, according to media reports.

The 59-year-old pleaded guilty to obtaining financial advantage by deception.

She was sentenced to three years in jail, but released on a five-year good behaviour recognisance. She was ordered to repay the $108,753.76 she had obtained illegally.

Ms Swartz’s defence lawyer, Mark Dixon, said his client, a nurse, had been caring for her elderly mother while she herself was suffering from depression. 

Mr Dixon said if his client had served jail time she would have had to sell her home, causing a major upheaval for her family. 

Judge Nathan Jarro described Ms Swartz’s actions as “greedy” and “deceitful” and noted she used a separate bank account for the additional income. 

Convictions have been recorded against Ms Swartz. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

New Aged Care Rules Could Wipe Out Your Pension – Here’s How to Avoid It

Selling your family home might seem like the easiest solution to fund aged care, but it could lead to serious financial consequences down the line. Many families don’t realise that this decision can have long-lasting impacts on their finances and Centrelink eligibility. Read More

Body of 21-year-old aged care worker found in shallow grave

On Sunday, March 7, police spoke to a 20-year-old man who Jasmeen knew, who subsequently told police he could take them to where her body was buried near Hawker, over 430km north of where she had last been seen.  "[The man] agreed to show detectives a grave in the Moralana Creek bed where he said she had been buried," Detective Superintendent Des Bray said on Monday afternoon. Read More

‘Frontline workers’ among those to get priority in Albanese’s housing program

A promise to set up a $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund to build social and affordable housing was the centrepiece of Anthony Albanese’s Thursday night budget reply. Read More
Advertisement
Exit mobile version