A mum has been spared jail over benefits fraud, which saw her pocket £16,500 after claiming it was for her children.
Sarah Hanlon, 41, was accused of receiving an extra £825 a month in Universal Credit payments she claimed were used on her three children living with her.
However, her children had been taken from her care. She was able to carry on her scheme for almost two years before being called in to have a chat with the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).
The mum-of-three has now appeared at Crewe Magistrates’ Court over the fraud, which she had admitted to.
She pleaded guilty to dishonestly failing to disclose information and fraud by false representation after wrongly claiming over £16,500. Hanlon had failed to let the DWP know a change in her circumstances when her three children were ‘removed from her care and not returned,’ prosecutor, Marta Pawloska, said.
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.
Instead of being sent to prison, Hanlon was given a 36-week sentence, suspended for 18 months.
But she will have to pay back the amount to the government over time, the court ordered.
Hanlon, who represented herself at the hearing, will see DWP deduct £61 each month from her wages.
This means it will take an estimated 22 years – close to retirement age – for her to pay back the £16,558.61 sum. She will also have to complete 120 hours of unpaid work, 15 hours of rehabilitation plus £85 in costs.
Ms Pawloska said: ‘Universal Credit was partly being paid to the landlord and the remainder paid to her personal account.
‘But evidence is available to show a failure to report a change of circumstances, namely in August of 2022 when all of the children were removed from her care and not returned.
‘On May 8, 2024, this defendant removed the children from her claim – but it was only done after an invitation for interview made by the benefits department.’
How much are Universal Credit payments?
The amount of Universal Credit varies depending on personal circumstances.
Payments depend on the standard allowance, if any extra amounts apply, whether any money is deducted off monthly payments, and if claimants are working and how much their salary is.
Universal Credit has been rolled out over more than a decade to replace the Housing Benefit, Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
For more stories like this, check our news page.
