Victoria Anne Miller to be sentenced in Tamworth court for fraudulent COVID-19, mouse plague applications

Victoria Anne Miller is set to front sentencing in Tamworth Local Court later this month after she admitted to making false representations online in a bid to pocket NSW government payments and fee waivers.

She was paid almost $17,000 - and attempted to glean more - through online applications in her name, her sister's name, and another man's name, court documents revealed.

The court heard the 30-year-old Willow Tree woman could have to cough up thousands in compensation, but she claimed at the time a $12,500 payment she received had already been recovered.

"She says the money has gone back to the relevant authority," police prosecutor Sergeant Rob Baillie said.

"It's a significant sum of money, and there's a dispute on that, and I think that needs to be rectified."

Legal Aid defence solicitor Rachel Dobson said a brief statement showed the money had been withdrawn from the account, but agreed sentencing should be delayed to allow police to investigate further.

"It's unclear who retained that money," she said.

Magistrate Julie Soars agreed to adjourn the matter to mid-May.

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She read a sentencing assessment report that had been prepared, and noted the fraud appeared to be linked to Miller's drug use at the time.

Ms Dobson told the court Miller had made significant changes.

"She was using drugs at the time, but she's been abstaining for quite some time," she said.

Miller was charged in January this year after an investigation into her online applications for support payments, grants and fee waivers during the COVID-19 pandemic and mouse plague in 2020 and 2021.

The document detailing the offending shows Miller submitted some applications under her sister's name after obtaining her private bank details and using them to transfer money to her own account.

Miller also tried to lodge applications under another man's name, using her own bank details, but they were knocked back.

Court documents show at least 18 applications Miller lodged - totalling $43,499 - were rejected.

"She applied for lots of grants but not all were fulfilled," Ms Soars said.

She has pleaded guilty to two counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception, which each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars; as well as three counts of attempting to dishonestly obtain property by deception.

The matter was adjourned.

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