Benefit cheat caught after she put wedding pictures on Facebook
She had New York honeymoon after claiming £13k
AFTER posing at the Empire State Building and flying in a helicopter over the Statue of Liberty, Jacqueline Blake couldn’t wait to share photos of her honeymoon with friends and family on Facebook.
Unfortunately, the happy snaps of her dream trip were also seen by officials investigating her for benefit fraud.
They discovered she was able to afford the luxury holiday in New York after cheating the taxpayer out of £13,000 in benefits to which she was not entitled.
Investigators found the 51-year-old had been living with second husband George Loxley for almost a year while falsely claiming that she lived alone to receive housing and unemployment benefit.
Yesterday Blake, a former social care worker, admitted the year-long scam – but claimed it had been an oversight.
Magistrates in Burnley, Lancashire, gave her a 12-month community order and ordered her to pay £85 costs, a £60 victim surcharge and a £40 fine.
Andrew Robinson, prosecuting, said Blake, who has multiple sclerosis, made a genuine claim for employment and support allowance and housing benefit in
‘Her actions were an oversight’
2012, on the grounds that she was unfit to work, lived alone and had no income, capital or savings.
However, in May 2014 she and Mr Loxley moved in together and two days before their marriage – on August 28 the same year – Blake sent a letter to the Department of Work and Pensions saying she wanted to revert to her maiden name after divorcing her first husband.
However, she failed to inform them of her wedding to Mr Loxley, which took place less than 48 hours later, even though she was legally obliged to.
‘Inquiries did reveal this lady was telling them information she knew was wrong in the build- up to them being married,’ Mr Robinson said.
‘The DWP received a letter, saying she wanted to change her name to her maiden name, following her divorce. She made no mention of the fact she was due to be married just two days later. ‘ The department made inquiries. She had got married on August 30 and whilst making that false declaration had actually gone on holiday to New York. The department found out that information on a Facebook page. Clearly, the information given two days earlier was not correct.’
Her Facebook photographs also included images of the couple sightseeing in Times Square and Central Park.
Blake, who was diagnosed with MS in 2007 and walks with a stick, was also pictured with a waxwork dummy of Morgan Freeman outside Madame Tussauds in the Big Apple and also at the NBC TV studios.
Blake initially denied fraud, but confessed after investigators confronted her with a copy of her marriage certificate, the Facebook posts and financial arrangements that linked her and her new husband to the same address.
The total amount overpaid was £12,815.68, of which £8,700 was in employment and support allowance.
A probation officer who interviewed Blake, who has no previous convictions, said she was remorseful, adding: ‘She is mortified, and her actions were more an oversight rather than a deceitful way to behave.
‘ Unfortunately, she failed to notify a change in circumstances. She recognises the dim view the court will take of this behaviour.’
Blake admitted two counts of dishonestly failing to notify a change of circumstances – not informing Pendle Borough Council between May 19, 2014, and May 27, 2015, that she and partner were living together as husband and wife and not notifying the DWP she was sharing a home with him between May 12 2014 and May 27 2015.
Bash Khan, defending, said Blake, of Bradford, West Yorkshire, did not set out to commit fraud from the outset.
He said: ‘She accepted responsibility for these offences in interview. She entered a guilty plea at her first court appearance. This wasn’t a fraud from outset. For nine years, she has suffered from multiple sclerosis and has mobility issues.’