Joanna Mole, 47, admitted illegally pocketing £44,500 in child tax credits, £27,000 housing benefit and £1891 in council tax support between 2010 and 2016
A woman scrounged £73,000 in handouts over a six year period by posing as a single mother.
Joanna Mole, 47, admitted illegally pocketing £44,500 in child tax credits, £27,000 housing benefit and £1891 in council tax support between 2010 and 2016 without disclosing she was living with her husband Steven.
Judge Angela Nield said the benefits system was 'cumbersome, overrun and creaking' and 'all too often open to misuse.'
Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, heard how the couple had temporarily split up and she claimed handouts on the basis she was a single parent in sole care of their two sons.
But he moved back in their home in Walshaw, Bury, Greater Manchester - and she continued claiming her single person's allowances until she was caught in 2017.
Mole who had credit card debts later claimed had used the money to 'make ends meet' like a so-called 'Jam' - a term coined by Teresa May to refer to those who are 'just about managing.'
Mole admitted admitted two counts of dishonestly failing to notify of a change in circumstances that affected her entitlement to social security benefit and one charge of being concerned in falsely claiming tax benefits.
But she wept as she was spared jail and instead given an eight month prison term suspended for two years. She was also ordered to complete 240 hours of unpaid work.
Sentencing Judge Nield said: 'The benefit system in this country is unique in the world, it is however cumbersome and very heavily reliant on those who claim from the system. All too often it is open to misuse.
Mole (pictured) admitted admitted two counts of dishonestly failing to notify of a change in circumstances that affected her entitlement to social security benefit and one charge of being concerned in falsely claiming tax benefits
'It is not easy to detect claims of this nature which are made fraudulently which results in large amounts of money being taken from this system which is already overrun and creaking.
'This is one of those offences where this court is urged to consider very carefully the elements of deterrence. I am clear that the only choice this court has is to impose either an immediate custodial term or to suspend a custodial term.
'You falsely claimed these payments over a prolonged period. These offences without questions cross the custody threshold.
'The
