A 59-YEAR-OLD woman continued claiming benefits despite having over £300,000 in her bank account.

Blackburn magistrates heard Christine Elaine Kay had inherited the money and hadn't touched it because she intended to leave it all to five charities when she died.

And the court was told Kay had recently given a young couple a leg up the property ladder by selling them a house at the price they could afford and not the asking price.

MORE TOP STORIES: 

"She is not materialistic at all and doesn't rely on money in the way others do," said Gareth Price, defending.

Kay, of Sudell Road, Darwen, pleaded guilty to dishonestly making a false statement to obtain employment and support allowance. She was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months and ordered to pay £85 costs and £80 victim surcharge.

Enza Geldard, prosecuting, said there was a section on the benefits claim form which specifically asked if the claimant had declared all their savings.

"When she made her claim she had capital in excess of £160,000 and during the claim period this increased to over £300,000," said Mrs Geldard.

"Had that been known she would have received no benefits and there was a total overpayment of £14,000."

Mr Price said the overpayment had been paid back in full by his client who was a lady with no previous convictions.

He said that in 2007 she was diagnosed with cancer and became unfit for work.

"A couple of weeks later her father was admitted to hospital after suffering a stroke and never came out," said Mr Price.

"My client was left some money and immediately she partitioned that from her own money and never treated it as her own."

He said Kay had worked for 30 years in a responsible job and initially her benefit claim had not been means tested.

"When she came to the end of that period she was sent a form which she didn't fill in correctly," said Mr Price.

"She declared the money in her savings account which amounted to about £10,000. She accepts she didn't declare the other account which had the inheritance money in it.

"Those monies have never been touched since they arrived in her account."

Mr Price said he had been shown his client's will which showed the money would be shared between five charities.

He said recently Kay had sold a house and a young couple had viewed the property and loved it.

"They couldn't afford the asking price so she reduced the price because she liked them and wanted to give them a start," added Mr Price.