A CLYDEBANK woman who claimed thousands of pounds in false benefits has been given two weeks to show she has been making efforts to repay the money.

Stacey Lee Fraser committed the offences between September 2012 and February 2014 while living at Morrison Quadrant.

She is charged with claiming £4,743.03 of Jobseeker’s allowance, as well as housing and council tax benefits by failing to give notification to officials of a change of circumstances.

The 40-year-old appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Friday, but Sheriff John Hamilton deferred sentence until December 13 – for Fraser to show she has made repayments.

Fraser’s defence solicitor, Kenny McGowan, said his client had been trying to pay back the money but is “no further forward”.

Sheriff Hamilton said: “I can’t imagine DWP are refusing the money. What she’s got to do is actually get it done.

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“This is not going to go away. If she’s clever enough to commit fraud she’s clever enough to pay it back.

“Custody is still an option. She’s got an obligation to sort this out.”