A mother-of-three who cheated the benefits system out of more than 20,000 has been spared a jail sentence.
Chantelle Crookes did not reveal her previously estranged husband had moved back in and continued to claim low-income benefits that she was not entitled to.
The 32-year-old falsely claimed to be the sole adult occupant in order to falsely claim Universal Credit and council tax support from Breckland District Council.
She continued to get a discount on her bills for almost four years between February 2021 and September 2024 until the fraud was detected.
Crookes, of Nessa Close in Thetford, was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 120 hours unpaid work after magistrates were told she is in the process of repaying the fraudulently claimed payments.
The offences carried a starting point of one year in prison with a range up to three years.
Norwich Magistrates' Court was told the scam had run for 191 weeks and had seen her fraudulently claim 20,595 in total.
Prosecutor Emma Pocknell said she had dishonestly failed to disclose information affecting her claim and failed to notify the Department for Work and Pensions of a change in circumstances.
She also admitted fraud by false representation over a benefits claim she made in April 2023 in which she failed to declare she was "maintaining a common household" by living with her husband.
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