The sentencing case of a Laois lady who fraudulently claimed her deceased father-in-law’s pension for more than 28 years has been postponed until October, reports RTE.
Margaret Bergin, 73, made her appearance in Portlaoise Circuit Court. Her address is Fairfield House, Mountrath, Co. Laois.
The court was informed that Ms. Bergin had been collecting the €271,046.28 pension that John Bergin had left behind for a period of twenty-eight years following his passing.
The case, according to Judge Keenan Johnson, was “very unusual” and came to light in 2022 when a 110-year-old man in Mountrath was the subject of investigation by a volunteer gerontologist, reports RTE.
The researcher contacted Áras after becoming suspicious that the case may include pension fraud, as the court heard. The researcher was taken aback that he had never heard of him.
Presenting proof, Garda According to Peter Crosby, Áras an Uachtaráin issues centennial coins annually to those who turn 100 and maintains a registry of those who do, reports RTE.
The Department of Social Protection was called, the court was informed, and it was decided that a visit was necessary.
It was said that the local welfare office started looking into things but was unable to locate John Bergin’s November 1993 death notification.
The court was informed that many attempts were made to schedule a visit with John Bergin and that Margaret Bergin was the approved agent to take his pension, reports RTE.
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