‘Single’ mum Sarah Crawford was a £15,000 benefit cheat

Sarah Crawford, 32, of Millbrook Road West, admitted charges of fraudulently claiming income support after an investigation by the Department for Work And Pensions.

Southampton Magistrates’ Court heard she had been making the claims as a lone parent while living with her partner.

She was also placed on a 12-month supervision order. She must pay back her benefits overpayments with £50 costs.

Income support is extra money to help people on a low income who don’t have to sign on as unemployed.

The case came as the Government published new proposals to reduce the £5.2 billion lost to fraud and error every year in the UK.

A new single fraud investigation service will be set up to catch benefit and tax credit cheats and track the footprints of professional fraudsters.

Cautions will be abolished as a penalty for fraud and the Government will bring in tougher one, two and three-strike rules, including three years’ jail for people with multiple convictions.

Ministers warn that no one will be let off under the new measures and that minor offenders will be issued with instant civil penalties of £50 or more.

They also want fraudsters to be named and shamed. Welfare reform minister Lord Freud said the extent of welfare fraud was “unfair and unacceptable”.

He said: “We are reforming the system and stepping up our efforts to catch the benefit and tax cheats who are stealing money which is meant for the most vulnerable people in our society.

“We will use credit reference agencies and data matching techniques to spot the telltale patterns of fraud.

“We will employ 200 more investigators and bring in a mobile taskforce to investigate each and every claim in highfraud areas. When people are convicted we will get back the money we are owed, introduce tough punishments and strip the assets of criminal gangs.”