A WOMAN who was paid more than £2,000 in Council Tax Reduction she wasn’t entitled to has had to pay it back – and other costs.

Donna Downie, of Territorial Way, Oxford, pleaded guilty at Oxford Magistrates’ Court to failing to declare changes in her income in relation to a claim for Council Tax Reduction.

She failed to do that between 2014 and 2017 because she failed to declare her income had increased.

As a result of that, a payment of £2,007.39 was paid out when she was not entitled to it.

She was convicted of the offence and sentenced to a 12-month conditional discharge.

Downie, who is 48, was ordered to pay £350 costs and a £20 victim surcharge, along with all the money she received from the city council.

She was prosecuted following work by the city council’s fraud team.

They started their work on the case in July 2017.

Ed Turner, the city council’s board member for finance and asset management, said: “The city council will not tolerate fraudulent claims for Council Tax Reductions.

If someone is having difficulty paying, the right thing to do is to make contact with the council or local agencies we support to offer money advice.

“Fraud will be detected and can lead to serious consequences for the individual, as well as depriving the city council of money it needs to spend on providing services.”