A WOMAN has been given a curfew order for falsely claiming over £10,000 worth of benefits.

Tracey Lawton, of Blenheim Close, Padgate, first applied for benefits in 2008 but her claim became fraudulent in 2012 when she failed to notify authorities that her partner Stephen Brandwood had moved in with her.

She falsely claimed income support, housing benefit, council tax benefit and council tax support for around two years until she belated informed Warrington Borough Council that Brandwood had moved in with Lawton and her three children in early 2014.

This initiated an investigation and the 43-year-old was found to have been overpaid a total of £10,974.33.

Lawton admitted three counts of benefit fraud at Warrington Magistrates Court on Wednesday November 11.

The court heard that the couple were in serious financial trouble and committed the fraud to ‘get bailiffs of their back’.

They remain in difficult financial circumstances and Brandwood is awaiting an operation on two slipped discs.

Childcare issues meant that Lawton would be unsuitable for a community service order and was instead given a 12 week curfew of 7pm-7am and fined a total of £210.

The court heard that Lawton has started to pay back the overpayment and has so far given £300.