A SINN Féin councillor who claimed unemployment benefits despite receiving a council salary is claiming a carer's allowance – that's paid directly into a party bank account.

Colin Kelly was brought to court earlier this year over benefit fraud charges after claiming jobseekers' allowance while receiving payments in his role as a councillor.

A judge acquitted him in July after the court heard how his council salary was paid into an account going straight to Sinn Féin.

Mr Kelly told the court he had no "card, no chequebook, no access at all" to the account and that all his allowance went straight to the party.

The Derry and Strabane District councillor said he had "made a mistake" in not declaring he was doing unpaid work.

A freedom of information request by The Irish News shows Mr Kelly's allowances and expenses are still paid into a party account along with eight other councillors.

Mr Kelly claims a basic allowance, travel expenses and a carer's allowance, according to Derry and Strabane District Council.

Councillors can claim on top of expenses a basic allowance of £14,200.

An additional dependants' carer's allowance of up to £8,100 a year is also available to councillors where care of children or elderly dependant relatives is needed to enable them to carry out council duties.

The Department of the Environment last night warned that local government laws "clearly state that councillor allowances are payable by councils directly to councillors".

Mr Kelly had faced charges of failing to declare a change in circumstances and making a false declaration over claiming £19,000 in benefits between November 2010 and March 2014.

Derry Magistrates Court heard that Mr Kelly had been claiming jobseekers' allowance since 2008.

He said he was co-opted onto Derry City Council in 2010 and received an allowance that went into a bank account that he had no access to whatsoever.

The 30-year-old told the court he had been re-elected in 2011 and 2014 and received expenses from the party for his travel and telephone.

Last night Sinn Féin said: "Sinn Féin councillors from Derry choose to have their payments paid into a central account and make a voluntary donation to the party."