Woman, 36, appears before Gloucester magistrates charged with 11 counts of fraud, four counts of forgery and two counts of neglect A mother has appeared in court charged with falsely claiming nearly ?100,000 in benefits by convincing her young son he had cancer. The 36-year-old mother ? who cannot be named for legal reasons ? is accused of using her son, now nine, to carry out the fraud over seven years. She allegedly claimed a carer's allowance, tax exemptions and disability benefits. The woman appeared before Gloucester magistrates for a 30-minute hearing. She was charged with 11 counts of fraud, four counts of forgery and two counts of neglect on two children following a joint investigation by Gloucestershire police and the Department for Work and Pensions. She entered no plea at the hearing and was released on unconditional bail until a hearing before the same court on 2 December. Her case will be heard at crown court at a later date. Crime Benefits Steven Morris guardian.co.uk © 2011 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds