A MOTHER-of-three has been fined for claiming housing and council tax benefits she was not entitled to and ordered to pay back the money.

Worcester magistrates fined Karen Acheson £300 and ordered her to pay costs of £258.35 after she admitted making two false statements in order to claim the money.

The court heard that Acheson, aged 39, of Portefields Road, Tolladine, Worcester, who was of previous good character, had claimed that her family's only income was from benefits and her part-time employment.

However, her husband Darren had been working as a self-employed window cleaner for the previous 12 months.

During that period she had been overpaid by £2,362.74 in benefits over a 12-month period - made up of £1,894.75 in housing benefit and £467.99 in council tax benefits - which she will have to pay back.

Speaking after the hearing yesterday Wendy Rushton, who prosecuted the case for the city council, said the local authority was under a duty to detect and prevent fraud.

"All claimants for housing benefit and council tax benefit are required to complete a form on application and then six months thereafter," she said.

"On each occasion, the claimant is required to declare his or her income and his or her partner's income, and out-goings, such as rent for calculation of benefit entitlement.

"The warnings on that form are quite clear - they state in unambiguous terms that it is an offence to give false information and that doing so could lead to a prosecution, and that is the action the city took in this case."

In any instance of claimants knowingly making false statements, magistrates have the power to impose fines of up to £5,000 and/or imprisonment for three months.

This is the seventh successful action brought by the city council against benefit fraudsters in the past 12 months.