MOTHER-of-two Amanda White neglected to tell the DSS when she started work as a travel agency sales consultant.

Blackburn magistrates heard that by the time White returned her benefit book she had received overpayments of £1,227.

White, 22, of Quarry Farm Court, Chatburn, pleaded guilty to three offences of making a false statement to obtain benefit and asked for nine similar offences to be taken into consideration.

She was given a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay £75 costs.

Michael Singleton, prosecuting said that before the benefit book was handed in White had received two monthly pay checks of more than £700 from her new employer.

Michael Blacklidge, defending, said White came from a hard working, industrious family and was a young woman with no previous convictions.

She had worked from leaving college until the birth of her first child, now aged two, and as soon as she could after the birth of her second child had found full-time employment.

"It would have been easy for her to stay at home with the children but the work ethic was strong," said Mr Blacklidge.

He said that financially she was not much better off, having to pay for nursery care and rent on her home.

"She just about breaks even and to provide a few little luxuries she works one night a week to earn an extra £20," said Mr Blacklidge.

"She works hard and she works long to keep house and home together and this incident was in isolation and quite out of character."