A man who claimed €136,000 of a dead man's pension for 23 years will be sentenced in April.
The fraud was discovered as social welfare staff prepared to make a special payment to the man on his 100th birthday. However, they discovered that his house had been sold and he had died in 1994.
Patrick McLoughlin, 65, of Ballyfermot Drive in Dublin pleaded guilty to forging pension vouchers and theft at Upper Ballyfermot Post Office between September 1984 and June 2007.
McLoughlin was caught on CCTV and had also been claiming his own pension at the same post office where he was well known.
The court heard that An Post had paid back the money to the Department of Social and Family Affairs and arrangements were in place for McLoughlin to pay back An Post.
Judge Katherine Delahunt had adjourned the case from July to allow for McLoughlin to have cancer treatment. He was diagnosed with cancer of the mouth seven years ago and is also the primary carer for his seriously ill wife.
Judge Delahunt had previously expressed concern about the 'lack of efforts' McLoughlin had made to repay the State and warned that she would expect to see some progress on that issue for the next date.
The court heard McLoughlin had stayed with the other man shortly before he died. He told gardaí he had paid for the man's funeral and his son had allowed him to claim the pension to recoup the cost.
However, once he started, he could not stop. McLoughlin also had a bus pass bearing the man's name but his own photograph.
After it was discovered, a scheme had been arranged to repay the Department of Social and Family Affairs, who had described the fraud as 'an overpayment', the court heard.
The court was told that McLoughlin did not own a car or his own house, nor had he ever travelled abroad or lived 'the high life'. Judge Katherine Delahunt noted that he had spent it all on drink.
His lawyers said he would be paying the money back for the rest of his life.
Judge Delahunt said the offence deserved a custodial sentence but there were very special circumstances in this case.
She adjourned sentence until April and said she wanted to see firm arrangements put in place for the re-payment of the money. She also said one had to note the ease with which McLoughlin was able to claim the money given that he was well known at his local post office.
