Daryl Russell, 39, from Calmore, Totton, was sentenced at Southampton Magistrates Court on 9 November to an 18 month community order for housing benefit and forgery offences.
The offences were committed whilst he and his partner were living in rented accommodation in Foxtail Drive, Dibden Purlieu.
Russell initially claimed housing benefit and council tax benefit from New Forest District Council (NFDC) on the basis that he was unemployed.
However, in April 2010, he started working full time as an administrative assistant for Hampshire County Council on a six month contract.
Whilst working, he filled in a NFDC review form stating he was still unemployed.
A government data-matching exercise identified that Russell had been working and claiming benefits.
Russell was invited for an interview with council fraud investigators and forged two documents in preparation, pretending that he had sent in notification of his work.
When questioned, he admitted that he had failed to tell the council about his work, forged documents and handed them in, attempting to get council staff to believe them as genuine.
On 2 November 2011, he pleaded guilty to six offences, including fraud and forgery.
He had obtained £1470 overpaid housing benefit and £763 council tax benefit.
The court was told that over £800 had been repaid and the remainder was being taken from ongoing benefits.
His case was adjourned till 9 November for a probation report. Southampton Magistrates sentenced him to an 18 month community order, consecutively for each of the six offences.
He has to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £850 prosecution costs.
NFDC’s head of customer and financial support services, Glynne Miles, said: “In the current climate it is imperative that the council rigorously protects the public purse and takes any allegations of fraud seriously.
The council operates a confidential free phone 24 hour hotline where suspected fraud can be reported on 0800 085 1637.”
