Benefit cheat mother said she was single

A benefit cheat fiddled nearly £30,000 in much-needed public money after keeping quiet that her husband was living with her and supporting her.

She later came clean about abusing the system and was repaying £400 a month, a court heard.

Jackie Sawyer, 33, from Crowle, admitted two offences of failing to notify a change in her circumstances and another of being concerned in fraudulently obtaining tax credits.

Nigel Clive, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that Sawyer wrongly claimed Income Support, housing benefit and child support for 104 weeks over a period of about two years between 2014 and 2017.

She falsely obtained £29,838 by saying that she was a single parent living alone when, in reality, her husband was living there and was supporting her.

The claim was not, however, fraudulent from the outset.

"There is no evidence that this defendant is living an extravagant lifestyle," said Mr Clive.

Siward James-Moore, mitigating, said that Sawyer carried out the fraud after she stopped work for the first time in her life following difficulties.

She had no previous convictions and "came clean" by making admissions and had been repaying £400 a month since March last year.

She had six-year-old twin boys and was a carer for her father.

Judge John Thackray QC told Sawyer: "You have committed serious offences. That's much-needed public money and you have abused the system."

Sawyer was given a four-month suspended prison sentence, 100 hours' unpaid work and 15 days' rehabilitation.

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