A WOMAN claiming three different benefits failed to tell the authorities when her boyfriend moved in, a court heard.

Over 26 months, Lisa Sanders claimed almost £30,000 to which she was no longer entitled.

Prosecutor Jason Beal told Plymouth Crown Court that in 2010, the Department of Work and Pensions was tipped off that a man was living at Sanders' house in Brentor.

Since 2001, she had been receiving Income Support from the DWP and housing and council tax benefit from West Devon Borough Council as a single parent.

Last year, the house was put under surveillance on ten occasions and each time her boyfriend's vehicle was parked there — clear indiction that he was living there, said Mr Beal.

Sanders, 36, who has four children, pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to inform the authorities of her change of circumstances.

Mr Beal said the amount of benefit wrongly claimed was £29,474.77.

Alexis Hager, for Sanders, said she was remorseful and had not told her partner she was receiving benefits.

He was a self-employed painter and decorator who had lost his home due to the recession and was in no position to support himself, her or the children, she said.

Sanders was repaying £20 a month from her job as a cleaner, and had so far repaid £220.

Miss Hager said Sanders had not been enjoying an extravagant lifestyle and believed she would have been entitled to some benefit even if she had told the authorities of her changed situation.

Judge Paul Darlow told Sanders: 'You defrauded the community and the public purse of about £29,000 by continuing to claim benefits to which you were not entitled.

'But you pleaded guilty from the outset, you are of good character — other people think highly of you — and this was not fraudulent from the outset.

'You have tried within your limited means to make some repayment to the community.'

He sentenced Sanders to 24 weeks for each offence, but suspended them for two years and ordered her to do 250 hours of unpaid community work.

He made no order for costs.