A woman has been sentenced to 140 hours of community service for a £15,841 benefit fraud.

Arlene Quayle, of Keppel Road, in Willaston, didn’t declare work that was carried out by her husband while she was claiming income support benefit over a 13-month period.

The 61-year-old appeared before High Bailiff Jayne Hughes for sentencing on Tuesday.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court that Quayle had been claiming benefits since 2005.

However, during the period from December 2017 and January 2019 she failed to declare work done by her partner at two companies.

Mr Swain said that while Quayle had declared some of her partner’s earnings, she had not declared them all.

This had resulted in an overpayment to her in benefits of £15,841.24.

Mr Swain said that the department would take their own action regarding repayment as the court’s powers to award compensation was limited.

Defence advocate Ian Kermode told the court that his client’s benefit claim had not been fraudulent from the outset.

And he said that she had so far paid back £1,050.

Mr Kermode asked for Quayle’s guilty plea to be taken into account as well as the fact she has no convictions for 16 years.

The court heard that Quayle was paying back £50 per week at the moment.

Mrs Hughes told Quayle: ’It will take about six years to repay.

’It was a considerable amount you defrauded from the taxpayers of the Isle of Man. You said you were sorry for the situation you find yourself in but it was a situation you put yourself in.’

Quayle must also pay £50 prosecution costs by January 31 next year.