Whangarei woman jailed for defrauding ACC

A sentence of 16 months imprisonment has been handed down to Whangarei woman Sharon Rebecca Andrew, who defrauded ACC of nearly $150,000 by lying about her relationship status.

Ms Andrew, a 51-year-old beneficiary, was sentenced by Judge Harvey in the Whangarei District Court on Friday, 20 July 2012. She pleaded guilty to 25 charges under the Crimes Act, including 22 charges of dishonestly using a document and three charges of making a false statement or declaration.

The charges stemmed from Ms Andrew repeatedly misleading ACC about her relationship status so she could claim weekly compensation payments intended for the single surviving spouse of a person who died as a result of injury.

Ms Andrew began receiving the payments after her de facto partner died in an accident in 1983, but she subsequently entered into a marriage-like relationship with a new partner.

Despite having three children with her new partner and declaring themselves ‘husband and wife’ when buying property together, Ms Andrew supplied ongoing declarations to ACC stating that she wasn’t in a marriage-like relationship, and continued to claim ACC payments.

When confronted by ACC investigators Ms Andrew denied any wrong-doing, but admitted to all charges against her when she appeared in Court.

ACC’s General Manager of Claims Management, Denise Cosgrove, says “This case sends a strong message that the Courts won’t tolerate deliberate, calculated ACC fraud.

“ACC has a dedicated Investigations Unit which is committed to bringing people who abuse the Scheme to justice.”

Ms Cosgrove adds that “ACC collects levies to help people with genuine injury-related needs. Offending such as this therefore amounts to theft from honest, hard-working New Zealanders.”

ENDS

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