A chauffeur’s wife carried out a �75,000 benefit con to fund expensive holidays and her love of shopping, a court heard.

Jennifer Baiden, 45, swindled taxpayers for a decade claiming to be a lone parent when she shared her husband’s income.

While fleecing Newham Council in Stratford, Baiden told a tenancy inspector from the authority they were living together so they could keep their home.

But the claims department was not told and the scam went undetected with her continuing to pocket handouts until her arrest in 2009.

Holidays

Her passport showed she had travelled to Canada in July 2007 and to Jamaica twice in 2008.

Baiden and her three young children had travelled to Toronto for �1,856, and there were also invoices for Jamaican villas.

She also admitted owing up to �40k to credit companies.

Baiden claimed her husband turned up when he felt like it and did not live with her in Jacobs House, New City Road, Plaistow.

But the mum, who also went by her maiden name Newman, was found guilty of four charges relating to the fraud at Inner London Crown Court.

Andrew Evans, prosecuting, said Baiden was first declined an application for benefits in 1999 while living with Samuel Baiden, who was then her boyfriend, as she did not state his income.

The following year she successfully re-applied, claiming he had left her and “gone abroad”.

Mr Evans said: “Since February 2000 the defendant has been in receipt of income support which she claimed from the Department of Work and Pensions on the basis that she was a lone parent, as she was separated from her partner, and had no other source of income.

“She also received from the London Borough of Newham housing benefit and council tax benefit for the property at Jacobs House.

“But the defendant’s benefit claims were false because she was living with her employed husband.

Baiden denied five counts relating to making false representation and obtaining money by deception.

She was found guilty of four counts of making a false representation. The other will remain on file.

Baiden was bailed for sentencing on May 10.