A WOMAN who claimed thousands of pounds of benefits to which she was not entitled while working at a social club in South Petherton said she could not afford to live on her wage.

Diane Gordon applied to South Somerset District Council for housing benefit when her wages went down by a third.

However she continued to claim benefits even when her hours increased and she had more money coming in.

When the offence came to light she was interviewed and said she would have informed the council if her increased wages had been a regular occurrence, however later confessed she had been receiving regular hours and wages and should have told them.

Gordon, 58, of Larkspur Crescent, Yeovil, admitted that between April 2, 2012 and February 8, 2015 she dishonestly failed to notify South Somerset District Council of a change of circumstances that would affect her entitlement to housing benefit, namely that her earnings through employment had increased when she appeared before Somerset magistrates.

Prosecutor Lucy Coleman told the Yeovil Magistrates that Gordon had been claiming benefits since the year 2000 and said she lived alone at her address in Yeovil.

She made a claim for housing benefit in 2012 and was made fully aware that she should notify the council of any changes to her working payments.

“She wrote to the council and said her earnings had reduced from £157.20 a week to £102.78 after her hours had been cut, provided her last wage slip and her claim was recalculated accordingly,” she said.

“However information was later received that Gordon had been overpaid housing benefit and the council wrote to her as she had not told them about her increased income.

“They also wrote to her employer at a social club in South Petherton who said that her income had increased to at least £150 after only two weeks.

"As a result the total overpayment that accumulated because of her failure to inform the council of changes was £5,203.25.”

When Gordon was interviewed by investigators she eventually admitted her actions saying she had a full understanding of what she should have done but did not inform them of the changes.

“She continued to receive housing benefit to which she was not entitled after saying she just could not afford to live on what she was earning,” added Miss Coleman.

Defending solicitor Chris Baddoo said that Gordon was struggling to make ends meet and had been working at a social club but had since changed her job, adding that "the claim was not fraudulent from the outset."

“However at one point she accepts her wage did increase and she should have informed the necessary department,” he said.

“She accepts she has had an overpayment of benefits but the claim was not fraudulent from the outset.”

After hearing the defendant had a previous similar conviction the magistrates adjourned the case until February 5 for a pre-sentence report to be prepared, saying that all options would be considered including custody.

Gordon was released on bail.