Knowingly failing to declare a change in personal circumstances has left one Griffith man with two suspended 15 month prison sentences and an order to pay back $61,324.95 in unpaid debt to Centrelink.
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The 58-year-old man Colin Patrick Broadfield was charged with two offences of engaging in conduct to obtain financial advantage from the Commonwealth, between February 2015 and October 2017.
Despite "knowing or believing" he was not eligible to receive carers payments, he failed to notify Centrelink that his mother was no longer in his care, and hadn't been since February 2015.
His first charge related to an over-payment of $10,376,04 from February 2015 to 2017, with the second a $63,148.91 over-payment from May to November 2017 - a total of $73,524.95.
The prosecution described it as an "intentional omission" only detected when the organisation responsible for his mother's care notified the department of her death in October 2017.
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When asked why he failed to notify during investigation, Broadfield stated he had been depressed.
During discussions on debt recovery, he said he had been living off savings and had a number of medical conditions making it difficult to deal with his personal affairs at times.
Magistrate Joy Boulos suspended the prison sentences on the condition that he enter into a recognizance in the sum of $500 without security, with 15 months good behaviour.
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