A BENEFIT cheat who fraudulently stole almost £36,000 from taxpayers has been spared jail.
Sophie Smallwood claimed a string of different benefits between 2006 and 2012, before being caught with savings of £38,000, including thousands awarded in compensation after a car accident.
Hull Crown Court heard she claimed housing and council tax benefit, Jobseeker's allowance, incapacity benefit, disability living allowance, child benefit and child tax credits.
Howard Shaw, prosecuting, said: "She was reminded on a regular basis to notify the authorities if there was a change in her circumstances.
"She made a declaration in writing and on the telephone that her savings remained below the £2,000 threshold.
"At the time of detection, she had £38,000 in savings in a variety of different bank accounts that came to her following a road traffic accident in compensations and benefit claims she had received over the years."
Smallwood, of Teal Garth in Bridlington, was even moving large amounts of cash between her bank accounts as she continued to fool the authorities.
Mr Shaw said: "She was moving sums of money between bank accounts, so, clearly, she had knowledge of the amount of money available to her."
She pleaded guilty on the day her trial was due to start last August and has since paid back £23,000 to the authorities and is repaying the remaining £13,500.
Defending Smallwood, Nigel Clive said she has physical disabilities, including chronic arthritis and a disc disintegration disease, and mental health problems.
He said: "This is a lady who has not been in trouble before and has significant mental health and physical difficulties.
"She has chronic arthritis and disc disintegration disease, which sees her in hospital every three months for treatment, medication and pain relief.
"For those reasons, I invite your Honour to take an exceptional course of action with this defendant.
"There is a real prospect that all of the outstanding money will be returned to the authorities."
Sentencing Smallwood, Judge Michael Mettyear said: "This benefit fraud was of a longish duration and committed in certain starts that were totally unjustified and caused substantial loss to the authorities.
"It is quite clear you knew exactly what was going on and you continued to claim these benefits even though you knew you weren't entitled to them, then, you contested your case to the last minute."
Smallwood was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.
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