A woman who failed to declare children were no longer living with her has been put on probation.

Elizabeth Edge admitted making a false representation to obtain a benefit.

The 36-year-old appeared before magistrates for sentencing on November 20.

Prosecuting advocate Sara-Jayne Dodge told the court that Edge was claiming income support benefit and child benefit from December 2016.

In February 2025, the authorities received information from an anonymous source.

Checks confirmed that Edge’s children were no longer residing at her Heather Crescent address in Douglas.

She was interviewed at Markwell House, and said that she had had mental health issues, but believed she would still be able to make her claim, as she was still providing food and clothing for the children.

The failure to declare the change in her circumstances resulted in her being overpaid £9,771 in benefits she wasn’t entitled to.

In 2022, Edge was given a suspended sentence for five counts of benefit fraud, after she failed to declare that a man she had met online had been sending her £1,000 a month for around two years.

That resulted in her being overpaid £23,871 in benefits, which she is still paying back at a rate of £30 per week.

A probation report said the latest offence had not been fraudulent from outset, but that Edge accepted that she should have notified the department of the change in her circumstances.

The report said that she was working with mental health services and recommended a period of supervision as the most appropriate sentence.

Defence advocate Ian Kermode said: ‘This is a desperately sad situation.

‘There was no element of dishonesty. She spent the money on her children.’

Magistrates ordered that the probation order run for 18 months.

Edge will repay the £9,771 after the previous amount has been repaid.