A DEVONPORT mother who falsely claimed more than £30,000 in benefits by failing to say she was living with her working partner has been warned that she could be jailed.

Mandie Ward, aged 39, claimed income support and other benefits for more than four years, stating on official forms that she was a lone unemployed mother-of-three.

But Plymouth magistrates have ruled that she was in fact living with her partner, care assistant Edward Whitehead.

Presiding magistrate Robert Human said after a day-long trial: "This offence is very serious. It is a large sum of money over a long period of time. The sentencing bench would be considering a custodial sentence, probably the longest possible sentence."

Magistrates have the power to jail her for six months for each of the four offences.

Ward, of Cornwall Street, was granted unconditional bail until October 22 while a probation officer prepares a report on her background.

She denied three charges of failing to promptly notify the Department for Work and Pensions of a change in circumstances that would affect her entitlement to benefit, namely that her partner was living with her between February 2003 and August 2007.

Ward also denied one charge of making a false statement to obtain benefit in October 2006.

The benefit fraud involved £32,797.38, mostly in income support.

Ward told the court that Mr Whitehead did not live with her in Cornwall Street or at her previous home in Ordnance Street, but admitted that he stayed with her 'three or four times a week'.

She said that he did not contribute to household bills, but did give some money to her children.

Ward admitted that since May 2007 they were now living together all the time.

John Major, prosecuting for the Department of Work and Pensions, said in opening the case that Ward told investigators that she had been told by a social security officer in London that a partner could stay for three to four nights without affecting her benefit.

Mr Major said that this was not true.

He added that Mr Whitehead left most of his belongings at Ward's home.

Ward, who is now working full-time, said in evidence that her relationship with Mr Whitehead was 'volatile'.

She added: "Half the time we were in a relationship, half the time we were not."

But Mr Human said that Mr Whitehead lived with her for up to five days at a time before that date and only left when the pair argued.

He added: "We find that you were cohabiting and that you did act dishonestly."