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A SPINSTER who saved £22,000 out of her benefits to see her through old age is now flat broke after being forced to repay every penny.

Teetotal, non-smoker Pauline Ford, 58, spent years living in a rusty mobile home, spending the bare minimum on food for herself and her 15-year-old dog.

She was so terrified of a poverty stricken old age she siphoned off her benefits money into a savings account, a court heard.

Her lifestyle saw her save £2,000 a year.

But her savings grew so large they affected her eligibility for benefits and now she has been given a four-month suspended jail sentence for failing to declare assets.

If Miss Ford had spent all the benefit cash she would not have broken the law.

Prosecutor Jo Martin told Plymouth Crown Court that until 2005 Miss Ford received non-means tested incapacity benefit and disabled living allowance, along with council tax benefits which were means tested.

She built up £15,000 in savings which she should have declared when claiming housing and council tax benefits.

In 2008, she applied for income support, which is also means-tested, without revealing she had just invested £21,000 in a Nationwide fixed bond. Plymouth City Council investigated and Ford last year admitted hoarding the cash.

Prosecutor Miss Martin told Plymouth Crown Court the total overpayment of £28,205 has now been repaid and Ford, of Plymouth, is back on benefits.

Claimants can hold savings of £3,000 to £16,000 but receive lower benefits on a sliding scale. Explaining that Ford suffered a learning disability, defence lawyer Ali Rafati said: “Miss Ford was worried about how she would cope in old age.

“For many years she has been living on a shoestring in a rusty mobile home with her 15-year-old dog.

“She saved, not spent, but what she put in the bank resulted in overpayment. She has paid back £6,000 more than she saved.”

Passing sentence, Recorder Jeremy Wright told Ford: “On the face of it, this is yet another benefit fraud.

“I accept that you have problems with mental health but I don’t accept you didn’t that know what you were doing.”