A York woman admitted obtaining more than £7,000 in benefits when she appeared before city magistrates yesterday (1 March).

Isabel Hamilton (35) of Spindle Close, Foxwood had claimed housing and council tax benefits for herself and her children since 2001 on the basis that she was living as a single parent and her only income was from part-time work and child benefits.

In April 2005, Mrs Hamilton claimed that she was still a single parent and had no contact with, or knowledge of the whereabouts of, her husband, who was the father of her children.

However, the council's fraud team received an anonymous tip-off that Mrs Hamilton's husband was living with her and in full-time, paid work. An investigation began and uncovered evidence that showed Mr Hamilton had returned to live with his wife in March 2004 and was in full-time, paid work.

When she was formally interviewed, Isabel Hamilton admitted that she had deliberately failed to report that her husband had returned to live with her and was contributing financially to the household. She also said that she had made the false statements to obtain benefits that she knew she was not entitled to.

As a result of her fraudulent claims, Mrs Hamilton was overpaid £6104.71 in housing benefit and £933.23 in council tax benefit between March 2004 and February 2006. She has started to repay the money she owes to the council.

York magistrates sentenced Mrs Hamilton to a Community Order of 100 hours of unpaid work, plus £300 in costs.

The council's audit and fraud manager, Max Thomas, said: "Information left on the benefit fraud hotline is invaluable to us and we would urge anyone with information about benefit fraud to make use of it. Callers don't have to leave their names or contact details and all calls are treated with the strictest confidence."

The benefit fraud hotline number is  01904 552935 and it operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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