Benefits fraudster who claimed she was housebound to rake in £25k caught out after running 10k

A woman who swindled more than £25,000 in disability benefits has been jailed for seven months after she was found to be an active gym-goer and competitive runner despite claiming to be housebound.

Helen Green, 49, fraudulently obtained Personal Independence Payment (PIP) by claiming she suffered from severe rheumatoid arthritis, along with a slipped disc that left her unable to leave her home.

The fraud came to light following a tip-off to the Department of Work and Pensions' fraud hotline, with an investigation revealing an egregious breach of her claim.

Security cameras at her local gym captured Green engaged in high-energy fitness classes, including Zumba, Body Combat, Body Pump, Core Blast and Spin sessions.

The footage, released by the DWP, showed her stretching on the floor, cycling vigorously in spin classes, and smiling as she threw punches and kicks during combat workouts.

Perhaps most damning was evidence of her membership in a running club, where she competed in 10k races.

In one event, Green finished in 120th position with a time of one hour and three minutes, all without the crutches she claimed were essential for basic mobility.

When Green attempted to explain her race performance by claiming she had walked the 10k, Judge Trevor Meegan dismissed this as "implausible in the extreme".

He added: "To do it in just an hour shows significant effort. To run it in that time is indicative of a high level of physical fitness."

Throughout her fraudulent claim, which ran from January 2020 to March 2023, Green insisted she required help with basic daily activities, including washing, bathing, getting dressed, and preparing food - even claiming she struggled to feed herself.

The 49-year-old claimed she could manage only five minutes of walking at a slow pace, and was dependent on crutches for any movement.

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In her PIP application documents, Green further asserted her medical condition was permanent and would deteriorate over time, reinforcing the impression of someone facing significant physical challenges.

CPS prosecutor Mandy Tobias said: "She did this for her own greed and lined her pockets with fraudulently obtained money."

Green pleaded guilty at Shrewsbury Crown Court to dishonestly, failing to notify the department of a change in her circumstances.

Minister for Transformation Andrew Western condemned the fraud as "a slap in the face to taxpayers and the genuine claimants who depend on PIP to live their lives".

He said: "Let this be a warning you can't outrun the DWP".

The case surfaced as the Department for Work and Pensions published its annual Fraud and Error in the Benefit System report, revealing incorrect payments across the welfare system totalled billions of pounds during the last financial year.

A DWP spokesman said: "We are determined to tackle fraud and error in the system, and at just 3.2 per cent the overall rate is at its lowest since the pandemic.

"Our new Fraud Act gives us tough new powers to go after cheats and claw back taxpayers' money - including accessing new data from banks to help find incorrect payments.

"We've also secured a number of high-profile recent convictions of people committing PIP and Universal Credit fraud - proof our sustained efforts are working."