Woman with joint disease jailed for benefits fraud (From The Northern Echo)

Woman with joint disease jailed for benefits fraud

8:16am Tuesday 7th July 2009

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A WOMAN suffering from a degenerative joint disease has been jailed for failing to declare she was working while claiming more than £50,000 in benefits.

Julie Simpson, 46, maintained her claims for incapacity benefit, disability living allowance and housing benefit for almost five years while doing cleaning work.

Durham Crown Court was told that as a result the benefits overpayment was £54,980.

Simpson, 46, of Witton Drive, Spennymoor, County Durham, admitted three counts of dishonestly failing to give prompt notification of a change in circumstances, relating to claims for the three types of benefit, and was jailed for six months.

Roger Moore, prosecuting for the Department for Work and Pensions, said her claim for incapacity benefit was legitimately made, as she was suffering osteoarthritis of the spine, in 1992. The claim for disability living allowance followed six years later, as she required personal care and assistance.

As a result of these claims she was also entitled to housing benefit, from the former Sedgefield Borough Council.

But, Mr Moore said, it was discovered that between October 2002 and August 2007 she was working as a cleaner, earning up to £95 per week.

“However, this was not disclosed. It was not so much the earnings, but her ability to work,” he said.

She was interviewed by department staff in July 2007 about failing to make disclosures, and initially denied being on benefit.

Mr Moore said it was pointed out by an interviewer that she had stated she could only walk about five metres in 30 minutes.

In response, she said she had become more mobile as she was on stronger painkillers.

Simpson also said when she began doing cleaning work it was arranged through a friend who told her she did not need to mention it when claiming.

Scott Smith, mitigating, said all her benefits began as legitimate claims, and it was her failure to declare her physical improvement when she was able to work that led to her problems.

“Her financial circumstances dictated that she had to work,” he said.

Recorder Hickey told Simpson she had “defrauded the public purse” of almost £55,000 even though she would have been entitled to some benefits during that time.

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