A tax office worker who stole more than £300,000 in child benefit is only required to pay £1 back, a court has said.
Tracy Ashbridge claimed that three of her children were disabled and falsified tax credits claims for 15 children other children.
The mother-of-four used information from members of the public using her work computer system for some of her crimes.
Her husband, Robert Ashbridge, also helped her in one of the offences and received a suspended prison sentence.
Tracy was jailed for six counts of fraud on a suspended sentence.
The court heard she racked up £305,952 in fraudulent claims but, because she has no available assets, she must pay back just £1.
The mother must pay more of the stolen money back if she comes into money in the future.
Prosecutor Neil Jones said: “She has no available amount to satisfy the order. There is absolutely, definitely, no available sum.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Tracy started offending in 2015 when she made claims for child tax credits for her three younger children.
She worked for HM Revenue & Customs from 2012 where she could access child tax credit claims.
The mum received more than £180,000 after falsely claiming her children were disabled.
Her story began to crack when she “became a little too greedy” and tried to backdate claims to 2009.
Tracy Ashbridge claimed that three of her children were disabled and falsified tax credits claims for 15 children other children
Northumbria Police
The claim would have seen her claim £107,000 but an investigation was launched and she did not obtain the money.
The 44-year-old from Sunderland pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud and was jailed for two years and four months.
Tom Storey, defending, said: “She lives with her husband and their four children, two of them are still teenagers. She is deeply ashamed of her behaviour and expresses remorse.”
Nick Lane, for Robert, added: “While he knew something of his wife’s offending, he said he didn’t appreciate the full extent of her activities until the point he was arrested and only when interviewed did he learn, fully, the sums involved.”
