A benefits cheat who helped herself to almost £10,000 in fraudulent housing benefits has been ordered to pay back £250 – and at a rate of £5 per week.

Claire Harper, 34, was arrested in March after it emerged she had been falsely claiming housing and council tax benefit for two-and-a-half years. She failed to alert the authorities when she moved out of the two-bedroom flat in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, she shared with her young son. Harper moved in with a friend but continued to claim council tax credits and income support as a single mother living alone in the old flat – pocketing a total of £9,421.96.

Fraud officers from North Somerset Council visited the property earlier this year after a tip-off.

She pleaded guilty to benefit fraud at North Somerset Magistrates' Court on Monday and was sentenced to 100 hours' community work and ordered to repay £250 in costs.

But because of her financial situation she will be allowed to pay it back over 50 weeks – at £5 a week or 71p per day.

Sally Andrews, prosecuting, said: ''Before signing the housing benefit declaration it clearly says before the signature box that you must agree to let the council know of any change in circumstances.

''In an interview Ms Harper confirmed that she failed to report this and her explanation was that she couldn't afford to live without it. She said she was up to her eyeballs in debt."

Harper, who works part-time at a nursing home, legitimately sought housing benefit when she moved into the flat in March 2006.

But she moved out in May the following year and continued to have the monthly benefits paid into her account. Investigating officers became suspicious after a tip-off that she may be co-habiting with another person and visited the property in January 2009.

Ms Andrews said: ''In January when the officer attended the flat a man answered the door and said he was the tenant and Ms Harper had moved out some two years ago."

A subsequent investigation revealed that Harper had been claiming housing benefit at the property for 30 months.

She was arrested and quizzed and admitted falsely claiming the benefits – and confessed to knowingly failing to alert the authorities.

Ms Andrews asked magistrates to order Harper to repay the full £600 costs of the case – but they asked her to pay £250 at £5 a week.

A North Somerset Council spokesman said they had the power to retrieve the remainder of the debt from her future benefits claims. Alternatively, they can seek civil action to recoup the sum.

The spokesman said: ''We want benefits to go to those who are legitimate claimants and we will investigate fraud and take appropriate action."