text: Mary Day (pictured outside court) fraudulently claimed £16,500 of income support and disability allowance and used the money to go on holidays . A benefits cheat who pocketed almost £17,000 of taxpayers' money and spent it on a string of luxury holidays despite having £27,000 in the bank has avoided jail. Mary Day, 60, of Swanage in Dorset, used taxpayers' money to go on luxury holidays to the Indian resort of Goa for up to a month each time. Day fraudulently claimed £16,500 of income support and disability allowance despite having £27,000 of her own savings in the bank. Her savings were £11,000 above the £16,000 threshold for savings while claiming such benefits, which meant she was overpaid benefits for more than four years. Day went on three trips to tourist hotspot Goa in 2009, 2011 and 2014, but failed to tell the authorities. She was caught following an anonymous tip-off to benefits officers. Day has now pleaded guilty to five counts of dishonestly failing to notify the Department for Work and Pensions of a change in circumstances affecting her ability to claim benefits. District Judge Stephen Nicholls sentenced her to three months in prison, but suspended the sentence for 12 months as she pleaded guilty and had repaid the money. Sentencing Day at Bournemouth Magistrates Court, he said: 'You have been credited with the guilty plea and I have taken into account that you have no previous convictions. 'Clearly this is rather a large sum of money which you have claimed. But you pleaded guilty to all matters and monies have been repaid. 'This does cross the custody threshold and I will impose a sentence of 12 weeks' custody suspended for 12 months.' Day was also ordered to pay £85 towards prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £80. Tax watchdog The Taxpayers' Alliance said Day's sentence would do little to discourage others from committing benefit fraud. Chief executive Jonathan Isaby said: 'Benefit fraud isn't just stealing from taxpayers, but takes money away from those who really need it. Day went on trips to tourist hotspot Goa in 2009, 2011 and 2014, but did not tell the authorities . 'With finances so tight, we must crack down on those who seek to game the system for their own advantage and minimise the amount of taxpayers' cash swindled by fraudsters. 'Taxpayers will wonder whether punishments like this - or the lack thereof - do enough to discourage others from attempting the same crime.' A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: 'Benefit payments should go to those who really need them. 'We know it's a small minority of people who commit benefit fraud, but deliberately not informing us of a change in your condition that may affect your claim is a crime.' Day (pictured left with a friend) claimed £16,500 of income support and disability allowance despite having £27,000 in savings .
target: Mary Day, 60, claimed over £16,500 in benefits despite not being eligible .
  She had £27,000 savings in the bank which meant she was not entitled .
  Day used taxpayers' money to go on luxury holidays to Indian resort of Goa .
  Pleaded guilty to dishonestly claiming benefits and has paid back money .