A WOMAN claimed benefits while working to help pay off debts incurred when a former partner left her, Blackburn magistrates heard.

The court was told Deborah Edwards earned up to £176 a week as a carer at a Wilpshire nursing home.

Edwards, 27, of Clinton Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to obtaining benefit by deception and was granted a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay £40 costs. Michael Singleton, prosecuting, said Edwards worked at Hazeldene nursing home, where her earnings, over an eight month period, varied from £42 a week to £176.

Average earnings were £111 and Mr Singleton said that based on that figure she would not have been entitled to income support for a period of 34 weeks.

The total overpayment had been £2,592, but Edwards would have been entitled to family credit which reduced the net loss to £876.

Deborah Hayden-Pawson, defending, said a former partner left Edwards with a considerable debt.

When she first started work it had been very much on a week to week basis and she had not expected the job to last so long.

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