A WIDOW who claimed thousands of pounds in benefit fraud over 11 years, has been given a suspended sentence.

Canterbury Crown Court heard that 57-year-old Janet Nunn didn’t claim the housing and council tax benefits to spend on a lavish lifestyle but to keep her head above water while she raised her two sons.

Mrs Nunn of Nelson Terrace, Alberta Close, Dover, was committed for sentence to Canterbury Crown Court by Folkestone magistrates on four charges of false accounting, which she admitted.

She had been making fraudulent claims since 1994 and obtained a total of £38,082.46 in housing benefit and £5,689.86 in council tax benefit. She had since borrowed money from a friend to repay the council tax benefit but had repaid nothing back on the greater fraud.

She was sentenced to 10 months, suspended for two years with a 12-month supervision order. She must do 120 hours unpaid community work and will be considered for some form of assistance with debt management.

George Rowell, prosecuting, said when she first began claiming she put her earnings down as £50 a week and completed half yearly reviews to this effect.

But the council became suspicious in 2005 when her earnings hadn’t gone up and her income wasn’t enough to live on without other benefits. Checks revealed she had used her maiden name for work and her married name for her claims.

Neomi Byrd, for Nunn, said she was widowed in 1978 and raised her two boys alone.

The benefit claims were around £70 a week but the money wasn’t spent on holidays or luxuries but on the basics.

"She spent years on a low income with no opportunity to lift herself out of the rut. Once she made admissions she was frightened about owning up and embarrassed," said Miss Byrd.

Miss Byrd produced a letter of support from Mrs Nunn’s employer.

"The £60 or £70 a week she obtained enabled her to keep her head above water," said Miss Byrd.

She said immediate custody wold have a detrimental effect on Mrs Nunn who would probably lose her house and find it difficult to pick up the pieces when released.

She was now earning about £200 a week but it varied.

Sentencing Mrs Nunn, Judge Michael O’Sullivan said the offences were committed over a long period and attracted a prison sentence but it would be suspended.

She was otherwise of previous good character and had worked for voluntary organisations and was wholly trustworthy.

He acknowledged she had brought up her family as a single mother and said her guilty plea stood her in good credit.

He ordered Mrs Nunn to repay £1,040 in compensation but said that didn’t prevent the local authority pursuing the whole amount in whatever way they saw fit.