SECRET LIFE OF BENEFIT CHEAT
WOMAN CLAIMED £47K WHILE PRETENDING TO BE SINGLE... AS SHE DIDN’T WANT MOTHER-IN-LAW TO KNOW ABOUT SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
This scheme was doomed to fail from the start with the bank account in her partner’s name
Ian Ridgway, defending
A WOMAN who claimed £47,000 in welfare handouts by falsely claiming she was single has been freed after claiming she kept her same sex marriage a secret – due to her disapproving mother-in-law.
Julie Hooper, 57, had married and moved in with partner Patricia Harrison but she failed to disclose their relationship to the authorities as Miss Harrison found it ‘too difficult’ to talk to her elderly mother about it.
Over more than five years, Hooper pocketed extra Employment Support Allowance and Housing Benefit without telling DWP officials Miss Harrison had a job and could help pay the bills.
She was charged after investigators checked her background and noticed Miss Harrison’s name on the TV licence and bank statements. The benefit money was even being deposited into Miss Harrison’s bank account.
At Minshull Street Crown Court, Hooper, from Dukinfield, wept as she admitted fraud by false representation between February 2013 and September 2018. She was ordered to complete an 18-month community order.
She is currently paying back the stolen money at £132 a month – meaning the debt with not be paid until the year 2049.
The court heard the pair began dating in 2011 and are believed to have got married in 2013.
Prosecutor Gemma Maxwell said: “There are two counts, essentially two claims for benefits between 2013 and 2018.
“She made a claim for both benefits some time before this period and had been well entitled to those benefits. However, she failed to disclose about getting married and that she was living with her partner Patricia Harrison. She failed to disclose her partner was in employment, also.
“Overall, the total amount of house benefits that were overpaid was £15,982 and the total amount of ESA overpaid was £31,352. The total loss to Tameside council and the DWP was £47,335.13.”
In mitigation, defence lawyer Ian Ridgway said: “This scheme was doomed to fail from the start with the bank account being in her partner’s name.
“She tells me that her partner moved in with her but her partner found it difficult talking to her mother about the relationship.
“Perhaps with the older generation there is more of a social stigma to it – and with that lack of disclosure, this situation developed and she buried her head in the sand.
Mr Ridgway added: “Julie Hooper suffers with many medical ailments. She attends weekly at her GP, she has a prolapsed disk, arthritis, ischemic heart disease, a frozen shoulder, fibromyalgia and a disease named Lupus, for which she is prescribed morphine. She has many other ailments also. “She has issues with her thinking skills, numeracy skills and literacy skills. They are paying back the money overpaid at £132 per month, this has been going on for 10 months so she has paid off a little over a £1,000. Although it is a margin off the top of the total amount, she is actively doing that. If she is sent to custody, that will go up in the air.”
Sentencing Hooper the judge, Miss Recorder Kate Cornell, said: “I understand you have poor understanding of how best to manage your money and your life. But that does not excuse fraud of the public purse.
“This matter does cross the custodial threshold as you cannot wrongly take £50,000 without risking prison. However, given the evidence I know about you, I am not satisfied custody is inevitable.” Hooper was also ordered to complete 30 days of rehabilitation activity requirements and was ordered to be electronically tagged for three months.