A BENEFITS cheat who collected more than £24,000 in money she was not entitled to has been spared jail.
Nikki Evans, of Tudor Road, Hayes, received housing benefit, council tax benefit and income support over three years, magistrates were told.
But she had lied about being single and was living with her employed partner after starting to make the illegal claims in 2009.
An investigation by Hillingdon Council and the Department for Work and Pensions found that her fraudulent claims resulted in total overpayments of £24,030.46.
Ms Evans, 36, admitted three charges of making a false statement to obtain a benefit when the case was heard at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, July 30.
She received a 12-week jail sentence, suspended for 24 months, when she appeared for sentencing on Tuesday, August 20.
