Claudette Ruddock, 43, previously of Millbeck, Brownsover, Rugby, had pleaded guilty to cheating the public revenue and four offences of making false representation to claim benefit.

Prosecutor Raj Punia said that between May 2001 and June 2006 Ruddock had been claiming income support to which she was not entitled, receiving a total of £31,704.

And she had also been claiming housing benefit and council tax benefit on the house in Millbeck, Brownsover since 1998, receiving a further £12,192.

Ruddock had stated on her claim forms for the benefit payments that she was not working and that she lived with her two children in Brownsover.

"In fact she was working for Britannia Hotels as a chambermaid, earning £130 to £160 a week and through an agency for the Comfort Group as a cleaner," said Miss Punia, proescuting.

But on her employment reference her address is given as Alexander Road, Mosside, Manchester, where she has been living with her children who attend school in Manchester.

Miss Punia pointed out: "Had Rugby Borough Council known she was not living at the Brownsover address, she would not have received housing and council tax benefit."

When Ruddock was first questioned in April 2006 she denied she was working and claimed someone else was using her name, and maintained she was living in Rugby, not Manchester.

But in later interviews Ruddock, whose initial claim was legitimate, admitted she had been working and claiming benefits, and she has since repaid just over £600 of it.

Graham Henson, defending conceded he had 'an uphill task,' but said he wanted to persuade the Judge to impose a maximum jail sentence of 12 months – and to suspend it.

He handed in a letter from Greater Manchester Police to Ruddock's 16-year-old son, which he said explained her concern for his welfare, although both children could be cared for by relatives if she was jailed.

Ruddock had moved to Manchester after the death of a child so she could have her family's support 'because she was having difficulty coming to terms with the bereavement.'

"But it was always her intention, because she thought of Rugby as her home, one day to come back to Rugby, which is why she kept up her façade of claiming on the Rugby address which sat empty for many years."

Jailing Ruddock, Judge Marten Coates told her: "This will be in the press and people will see it, and those who are tempted to do what you have been doing will see that not everyone gets a community sentence."