Woman Jailed Seven Months for Disability Benefits Fraud

A 49-year-old woman has been sentenced to seven months in prison after pleading guilty to fraudulently claiming more than £25,000 in disability benefits while maintaining an active exercise routine. Helen Green was convicted at Shrewsbury Crown Court of failing to notify the Department for Work and Pensions of a change in her circumstances between January 2020 and March 2023.

She had received Personal Independence Payment by stating she suffered from severe rheumatoid arthritis and a slipped disc that left her housebound and dependent on crutches.

Security camera footage from her local gym showed Green taking part in Zumba, Body Combat, Body Pump, Core Blast and spin classes. Additional evidence indicated she belonged to a running club and finished a 10k race in one hour and three minutes, placing 120th.

Judge Trevor Meegan rejected Green's claim that she had walked the race, describing the explanation as implausible. He noted that completing the distance in that time indicated a high level of physical fitness.

CPS prosecutor Mandy Tobias said Green committed the fraud for personal gain. Minister for Transformation Andrew Western stated the case represented a misuse of public funds and warned that the Department for Work and Pensions would continue pursuing such cases.

2 percent in the most recent report, the lowest level since the pandemic, and highlighted new legal powers to recover incorrect payments.