Woman before court for alleged false one parent family and child benefit claims

A 49-year-old woman has been sent forward for trial for the alleged theft of €9,484 in social welfare claims. 

The total sum was claimed under a false name and consisted of 16 payments of One Parent Family and Child Benefit over a one-year period from March 2023 to 2024.

Svitlana Karabudak was served with the book of evidence ahead of her appearance at Ballyshannon District Court on Friday, October 19.

As well as theft from the Department of Social Protection, Karabudak faces 13 related charges in respect of each payment of deceiving the Post Office clerk with the intention of making gain for herself and causing loss to another. She faces a further 13 related charges of using a false instrument, namely a social welfare docket in the name Liudmyla Rahimovawith with the intention that it be used to induce another person to accept it as genuine and thus to pay out the Social Welfare payment.

The defendant was sent forward for trial to the next sitting of Donegal Circuit Court sitting in Letterkenny starting on December 10.