A mum-of-two who illegally claimed almost £7,000 in benefit payments said she had "made a mess of things".
Paula Fletcher, of Ilkeston, admitted in court that she had continued to accept carer’s allowance payments from the Department of Work and Pensions.
DerbyshireLive said this was despite earning too much money through her job to be entitled to the cash.
Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court heard how between May 2016 and September 2018, the 42-year-old claimed almost £7,000.
Fletcher pleaded guilty to dishonestly failing to notify the DWP of a change in circumstances in relation to a claim for carer’s allowance.
Since the wrongdoing was uncovered, Fletcher has been paying back what she claimed at a rate of £100 per week.
Simon Dhillon, mitigating, said: “She is going to have to live with the shame and embarrassment of this conviction on her record.
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“This was not fraudulent from the outset. The real mischief here is her working over the permitted hours she was allowed to work.
“She is repaying the debt and she is committed to paying this in its entirety.
“It is relatively low value and went on for two years. She has two children and a father who is terminally ill.
“She is a 42-year-old woman who has never been before the courts before and I don’t think that, after today’s appearance, the courts will ever see her again.”
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Natalie Evans, prosecuting, said Fletcher, of Queen Elizabeth Way, started claiming carer’s allowance in 2009 and, at that time, was legitimately entitled to the benefits.
She said that, during the time of the offending, Fletcher failed to declare she was working more hours which meant her increased pay affected the amount of benefits she was entitled to.
Mrs Evans said: “An investigation was launched and it was discovered that she had earned in excess of the limit she was allowed to earn.
“She was interviewed and she stated she did not know how much she was allowed to earn.
“She stated she did not know how to report a change in her employment circumstances and ultimately she stated she had let things go and had made a mess of things.
“She also stated she was suffering from depression. She has been paying the money, £6,894.20, back at £100 per month.”
Magistrates handed her a 12-month community order, with 80 hours unpaid work, and ordered she pay £85 prosecution costs and an £85 victim surcharge.
They told her: “This took place over a lengthy period of time and you continued to claim when you knew you should not have.”
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