Refugee had two jobs while claiming benefits

Leeds Crown Court heard Rudo Murdizi said on official forms that she was HIV positive and suffered from skin cancer and was often too nauseous to leave home.

She also claimed she was in too much pain to walk even with sticks and could only manage a few yards with the help of her sister.

But at the same time she was working as a night care assistant at The Hollies, a residential care home in Garforth, Leeds and during the day doing shifts at the Asket Croft care home in Seacroft, which catered for dementia sufferers.

Simon Clegg, prosecuting for the Department of Work and Pensions, said the day work was described as extremely physical involving staff being on their feet for many hours.

By the time her deception came to light in 2006, Murdizi had been overpaid 44,113 in income support, disability living allowance, council and housing benefit. She has since repaid around 5,000.

Murdizi, 51, of Holmsley Walk, Woodlesford, Leeds, admitted five charges of making a false statement for benefit yesterday and was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, combined with supervision.

Recorder Christopher Knox said her behaviour since coming to this country had been disgraceful plundering the benefits system but he accepted fundamentally she was a decent woman who wanted to put something back into the community.

He said he also accepted she did have health problems but said those were probably controllable "although back in 2003 the picture of your health was fairly gloomy."

Simon Alexander, for Murdizi, said she was a political refugee who had suffered genuine health problems during the period concerned and when forms were filled in on her behalf was concerned she might not be able to continue to work.

She accepted she should have declared her position when it was known and was now paying the money back.