A 74-year-old woman accused of a £21,000 benefit fiddle had been disowned by close family members, a court heard when she was ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work.
Josephine Robinson, of Mostyn Broadway, Llandudno, must pay £170 costs and was told by magistrates' chairman Toby Prosser at Llandudno: "It was close to custody. It was a serious amount of money you were overpaid."
The pensioner admitted failing to notify the Department for Work and Pensions between 2012 and June 2016 that she lived as a married couple and, after her husband's death, failed to declare income from an occupational pension affecting her entitlement to Pension Credit.
Prosecutor Diane Williams said she was repaying £11-a-week.
Simon Sargent, defending, said Robinson was embarrassed and ashamed. It was her first court appearance. She deeply regretted her actions.
Mr Sargent said at first she had depression and left matters to her late husband. She then "stuck her head in the sand."
A probation officer said Robinson's sons had turned their backs on her and she felt extremely lonely.
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