A NEWPORT woman was warned she will be jailed after admitted fraudulently claiming more than £100,000 in benefits.

Amanda Matthews, 34, was Friday told to prepare herself for prison after she pleaded guilty to two counts of dishonestly failing to notify the Department for Work and Pensions, and Newport City Council, of a change in circumstances.

Newport Crown Court heard Matthews first moved her partner into her home on Constable Drive in April 2004.

At the time she was claiming income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit.

But, the court heard, over the course of the next four years she failed to tell the authorities her boyfriend was living there, despite the fact he was in employment, and continued claiming benefits until February 16 2010.

Defending, Ruth Pickford said Matthews’ partner was not living there full-time, however, and that a witness had confirmed he spent time at an address in Ynysybwl two or three nights a week.

But she accepted that there was a change in her cirumstances and that the relevant parties should have been notified, she added.

Prosecutor John Harrison said sometimes the partner would come and go but that basically he was living with Matthews.

As such a total of £100,271 was wrongly claimed, he added, over a four-year period.

Matthews remains on bail until sentencing takes place on November 7.

But she was warned by Judge Rhys Rowlands that a custodial sentence was 'quite inevitable in this case'.