A WOMAN has been fined after she pleaded guilty to falsely claiming more than £6,500 in benefits.

Sarah Quinlan, of Albert Street, Burnley, failed to declare an increase in her wages while she continued to claim housing and council tax benefits.

Quinlan, 30, was ordered to re-pay £6,695.29 and ordered to pay further fines and costs totalling £280 by Burnley Magistrates.

The prosecution was brought by Burnley Council after a crackdown by its benefits fraud team.

The court was told that in September 2011, Quinlan’s earnings from employment had increased and she had failed to give written notification to the council’s benefits team. She attended an interview under caution where she admitted knowing she should have told the benefits team about changes to her income, but thought she did not need to declare any overtime worked.

A council spokesman said: “Benefit fraud is theft and offenders will be caught.”