Disability benefits claimant caught on film dancing on a luxury cruise

A London woman who claimed disability benefits of over £150,000 by saying that she was unable to walk and needed an oxygen tank has been jailed after been caught on film dancing while on a cruise.

False ill health claims

The woman, Mrs White, had previously been filmed on CCTV struggling to walk with a stick when she applied for a new council house. Mrs White had claimed that she lived with her mother in a small council house and was disabled based on her obesity. However, she neglected to inform Greenwich Council that she had undergone gastric band surgery in 1995, subsequently shedding 14 stone.

In truth, Mrs White was no longer disabled and owned property, including a seafront café, on the south coast with her husband.

Despite continuing to claim that she was disabled, Mrs White was observed loading shopping and café stock into her car and walking unaided.

Found guilty of fraud

Mrs White pleaded guilty to nine counts of fraud, three counts of failing to notify a change in her medical circumstances, and one count of money laundering. Her husband admitted aiding and abetting his wife in making false representations in order to get onto the council’s waiting list for houses and of laundering £12,800.

The couple enjoyed four separate cruise holidays funded by the benefits fraud and even headed off on yet another cruise after their arrest.

Custodial sentence

The court handed down an 18-month prison sentence to Mrs White, and her husband was jailed for nine months, suspended for two years.

The judge commented that the couple had been enjoying a life of luxury funded by the tax payer, whilst all the time claiming that Mrs White was unable to walk unaided and required two carers to look after her. He observed that the couple fully deserved their punishment.