A woman has been given a suspended prison sentence and curfew for wrongly claiming almost £22,000 in benefits.

Amanda Forrester, 34 of The Chine, in Winchmore Hill, pleaded guilty to two charges of failing to tell Enfield Borough Council of changes in her circumstances.

This led to her claiming £20,264 in housing benefits, £905 in council tax benefit and £589 in local tax benefit between April 1, 2011, and March 31, 2014.

Suspicions were raised when she claimed housing and council tax benefit after stating in July 2010 that she was on maternity leave, yet her earnings at Transport for London had increased.

In three years, her salary rose by £8,000.

Councillor Andrew Stafford, cabinet member for finance at Enfield Council, said “Another fraudster has been caught out, again believing that by not being truthful when their circumstances change, for example when they get a wage increase, that we will not find out.

“The council works with a number of partners to find out when people are not disclosing the truth about their working circumstances, for example income being received or other changes that we should be informed about. Time and again fraudsters are caught because they are complacent.”

Forrester was given an eight week suspended prison sentence, a two month curfew between 8pm and 6am, and was ordered to pay £550 in costs and £80 in victim surcharge.