A mum whose baby died claimed child benefits for almost 15 years since while dressing up a doll and pretending it was her daughter.
Alison Christie Mains, 41, pocketed than the equivalent of £113,000 in taxpayers' money with the elaborate con.
A court heard the defendant made false representations over the years that her child was alive and that was a single mother.
But the disabled tot Tyler had died at five months old in 1998, Sydney's Downing Centre District Court heard.
"The offending began as a result of Ms Mains' daughter dying in horrific, tragic circumstances, aged five months," Marty Bernhaut, defending, said.
He noted that at one point Mains' distress over her child dying was so strong that she began “dressing up a doll and pretending it was her daughter”.
Mains claimed around $200,000 (Australian Dollars) in Child Carer Allowance, Family Tax Benefit and Parenting Payment Single.
The offences came to light in 2013 - nearly 15 years after Mains started the fraud.
The woman, of Sydney, Australia, told the court she was illiterate and had “limited cognitive ability”.
Appearing at court dressed head to toe in black, Mains said she struggled to grieve the death.
She's also battled alcoholism in recent years, the judge was told.
But he said it is likely Mains will be sent to jail next month.
She admitted three charges of obtain a financial advantage by deception and a further three counts of defraud the Commonwealth.
The defendant will be sentenced at the same court on September 18.
