Betting shop manager claimed £34,000 benefits

A bookmaker's manageress from the Black Country who claimed more than £34,000 in benefits while earning up to £1,200-a-month has been spared a prison sentence.

Mother-of-five Claire Degg collected the cash in income support, housing and council tax benefit while claiming she was an unemployed single parent whose only income was from child benefit.

But the 46-year-old had been working for Totesport in Blakenhall, Wolverhampton, for several years, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard yesterday.

Degg, originally from Walsall, put in a claim to Walsall Council for housing and council tax benefit, saying she had had no income since August, 2004 and had been living on handouts from family. She said her children had been going to relatives' houses for food.

Degg, now of Castlebridge Road, Wednesfield, admitted five charges of benefit fraud.

Mr Adrian Harris, prosecuting, said: "Her claims were false and she had been working for Totesport since October 2001."

By 2004, she was working more hours than she was allowed under her benefit agreement, rising from cashier to manager. She also held a cleaning contract and by 2007/8 was taking home more than £1,000-per-month, plus some bonuses.

The court was told that Degg was sacked from her job in March last year for claiming for more hours than had been worked. She said: "I was stupid. I want to apologise." She said she had been left with debts after splitting with her husband.

Judge Michael Challinor told Degg she knew "full well" that she was "engaged in fraud". He jailed her for six months, suspended for 18 months, and ordered her to carry out 200 hours of unpaid community work.