A WOMAN from Wrexham has been spared jail after she made false statements to make gains of more than £19,000 in benefits to which she wasn’t entitled.

Joanne Jones, 52, of Hunter’s Way, Llay was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, at Mold Crown Court today (April 20).

She had previously admitted three offences of making dishonest representations to obtain benefits.

Matthew Dunford, prosecuting, told the court that, between 2013 and 2016, Jones was claiming income support on the basis that she was a single parent separated from her husband, Alan.

In reality, Mr Dunford said, she was “maintaining a common household with Mr Jones, and as such, was not entitled to income support”.

She made an initial false claim in 2013, which involved her signing a declaration to confirm that the information provided was true and accurate.

“Plainly, it wasn’t,” Mr Dunford said, but the claim was approved and she began receiving benefits.

Jones made further false declarations in 2014 and 2015, including saying that she and Mr Jones were having marriage counselling, and that she would stop the claim as soon as their issues were resolved.

In truth, she and Mr Jones were still living in the same household.

The false claims Jones made to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) saw her receive a total of £19,238.77 in benefits which she was not entitled to.

In 2016, the DWP began investigating the matter, and found that Jones and her husband jointly held a mortgage at a property on First Avenue, Gwersyllt.

Enquiries made with Mr Jones’ employers confirmed that she was his named next of kin, and his bank also said he lived at the same address.

Pictures of the couple on holiday in Florida together in 2016 were also found on Jones’ public Facebook page.

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When interviewed in 2018, Jones denied any wrongdoing, but accepted if she had had anyone living with her, she should have told the DWP immediately.

She added that she had “no idea” where Mr Jones was living between 2013 and 2017, but went on to say he had “carte blanche” to come and go from her home as he wished.

Mr Jones said he was homeless, and accepted he occasionally stayed at her home overnight.

“We were just like brother and sister, really. There was no relationship, and no marriage at all.”

Richard Edwards, defending, told the court that Jones has a dependent child, of whom Mr Jones is the father.

She was said to have found stable accommodation and has begun repaying the money.

Sentencing, Judge Niclas Parry also ordered Jones to complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement sessions.

Judge Parry ordered her and Mr Jones to set out their current material wealth in a statement.

He told her: “For the second time, you have defrauded the public purse. It’s the public who suffer, because that money is meant for deserving people.

“They are affected when claims are made by people who are not entitled to the money.

“It wasn’t one-off dishonesty. It was fraudulent from the start, and you’ve done it before.

“There was a relationship with him, clearly. He was the father of your children.

“Don’t reoffend in the next 18 months, keep the appointments, and carry on making the payments.”