Ukrainian woman jailed for fortnightly welfare fraud in Ireland

A Ukrainian woman has been sentenced to ten months’ imprisonment for repeatedly travelling to Ireland to claim Jobseeker Allowance despite never having lived in the state.

At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Tetiana Stakhiv, 51, pleaded guilty to theft of €9,103 from the Department of Social Protection between October 2025 and April 2026. Garda Louise Keane testified that Stakhiv was based outside Ireland and flew to Dublin every two weeks, timing her flights from Poland to coincide with payment collection dates.

The court heard that Stakhiv had been receiving treatment for a serious medical condition in Ukraine, which ceased when the war began. She subsequently bought medication on the black market. A Department of Social Protection check found she had never resided at any of the addresses she supplied.

Defence solicitor Jennifer Jackson acknowledged Stakhiv’s lack of cash, personal belongings and English language skills, and noted she planned to live with her 24‑year‑old daughter in Bulgaria after release. Judge Martin Nolan described the conduct as a serious breach of the welfare system, imposing a ten‑month sentence back‑dated to 25 May, when Stakhiv was taken into custody.

The case highlights the challenges Gardaí face in detecting fraud involving vulnerable individuals from conflict‑affected regions.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: K / Pexels.