A woman who claimed almost £20,000 in benefit despite having thousands of pounds in savings has been spared jail.

Preeti Mehta was told by a judge: “Sentencing guidelines suggest I should send you to prison for this kind of behaviour, and I agree, but I am going to suspend the sentence.”

The 48-year-old, of Ostend Court, Kemsley, denied making false declarations to the Department of Work and Pensions but was convicted by magistrates.

Prosecutor Nicholas Hall said when Mehta appeared for sentence at Maidstone Crown Court that she claimed income related support and housing benefit from March 2012 while declaring she had no significant capital.

But it was discovered she had capital invested in various bank and building society accounts which at one point totalled over £80,000.

Mr Hall said Mehta “took her chances” when denying the offence in the lower court.

Told that Mehta had repaid the £19,982 she was not entitled to, Judge Michael Carroll said: “Of course she paid the money back because she had it available. That’s why she is in the dock.

“She is in denial. I suspect she is a stranger to the truth when it comes to this matter. It is an astonishing front to maintain she is not guilty when she has been convicted by a competent tribunal.

“If she felt she had done nothing wrong it is difficult to understand why she has repaid the money.

“She richly deserves to go into custody for a few weeks so it can be drilled into her she cannot behave in this way, but I am going to resist the temptation of a knee jerk reaction.”

The judge told Mehta: “Whether you think it is right or wrong is neither here nor there. The fact is you were convicted.”

She was sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for two years and ordered to pay £775 costs.