A BENEFITS cheat illegally claimed £50,000 after claiming her partner was merely an odd-job man.

Kelly Young, 36, insisted Paul Carter was her landlord as part of a two-and-a-half year scam, Burnley Crown Court heard.

But Young had sent out a Christmas card marked from ‘Kelly, Paul and the kids’ and Carter was shown to be living at their home as a result of video surveillance.

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Young, who admitted three offences of dishonestly failing to notify a change in circumstances for benefits, was spared jail after a judge decided that she needed help.

The couple’s 21-month-old son Dragon, who was born Paul Carter-Young, was tragically found face down in the bath at their home in Booth Road, Waterfoot, earlier this year the court was told.

She is now pregnant with her fifth child and received an eight-month prison term, suspended for 12 months, with probation service supervision.

Tina Landale, prosecuting for the Department of Work and Pensions, said the total overpayment to Young was £48,908.85. Of this £30,000 was in income support, around £14,500 in housing benefit and £4,000 in council tax benefit.

The claim began legitimately in 2002, when she made a claim for herself on the basis she was a single mother-of-three, with no partner living with her and no income except child benefit.

Young later began living with her partner Mr Carter, who was also the landlord of the property she rented. But she didn’t notify the DWP and suspicions were aroused.

Surveillance was carried out and it became clear he was staying at the address.

The department also looked at Facebook accounts and profiles and made inquiries with a neighbour, who understood the pair were living together, and who received the Christmas card.

Young was interviewed in December 2012 and denied she was in a relationship with Mr Carter. She said he was her landlord, let her use his car and helped out with repairs at the house. She had a previous conviction for drugs possession in 1999.

Amanda Johnson, defending, said: “The defendant is remorseful for her behaviour, albeit over a prolonged period. She has not offended since the end of 2012. She has stopped receiving benefits. The only benefit she currently receives is child benefit.”

Miss Johnson said Young worked 20 hours a week in an off-licence to provide for herself and her children.

She added: “Her relationship with Mr Carter is perhaps an unusual one. He certainly doesn’t seem to fulfil the role of full-time partner and substitute father because he still does not reside with her. She does still have a sexual relationship with him and is due to give birth to her fifth child in January next year.”

Young’s intermittent relationship with Mr Carter, was seemingly on his terms, she said.

Miss Johnson said :” He does provide some degree of support, both financially and emotionally to her, but she is the full-time carer to her children, in effect with him coming and going.”

The court heard Young was still not ready to have counselling for the trauma she suffered over losing her son.

Miss Johnson added: “It’s almost unbearable to her to even think about it, never mind talk about it.”

The court heard she was extremely upset at the prospect of custody.

“She has learned a very harsh lesson. She is trying to put her life in some kind of order and bring up the children as best she can. She is someone who might benefit from assistance, added Miss Johnson.

Passing sentence, Recorder Barry Searle told the defendant :” You have had tragedy in your life and it may be you have still not come to terms with the tragedy that happened earlier this year. “ The judge said he took into account that the whole court process had been an extremely hard and harsh lesson for the defendant and Young was the sole carer for her children.

Young and a number of her friends have been involved in fundraising for the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, where Dragon was treated for a cleft lip, collecting more than £10,800 through activities including a pop-up shop in Waterfoot.