A WOMAN who claimed over £10,000 in benefits despite having thousands of pounds in savings had “found herself up to her neck in debt”, Aberystwyth magistrates heard.

Sharon Elizabeth Mason, of 1 Lodge Farm Cottage, Tre’r-ddôl, admitted two charges of dishonestly making a false statement to obtain benefits on 2 November 2011.

Prosecutor Helen Tench said Mason, 51, had received over £10,500 in housing and council tax benefit and income support, which she would not have been entitled to if she had declared that she had savings over the threshold of £16,000.

In an interview with investigators, Mason initially denied that she had the savings, but then admitted that she had the money in her bank account as a result of selling her house.

Ms Tench said Mason had shown knowledge that if she had declared the savings it would have affected her benefit claim.

Defence solicitor Iestyn Davies said Mason had been intending to use the proceeds from the house sale to pay off debts she had run up through credit cards and loans so had not considered that money as her savings.

He said: “She found herself up to her neck in debt. Easy credit has to be repaid. She had bailiffs at her door.”

Mr Davies said Mason had been able to buy a property after inheriting money, but had been forced to sell the house to pay off the debts she had.

He said that money was in Mason’s bank account when she made the benefit claim, but that she was intending to use it to pay off part of the debt.

Mason is currently still paying off thousands of pounds of debts, but was also repaying the money she was overpaid in benefits.

Mr Davies said Mason can’t understand why she didn’t declare the money at the time, but said she suspects she was “maybe not thinking straight”.

Mason was given a community order for 12 months and will have to complete 80 hours of unpaid work.

She was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £145.