Helen Green, 49, told the DWP she needed crutches and was housebound because of arthritis
CCTV shows benefit cheat participating in exercises classes
A woman who claimed she struggled to leave the house or walk was exposed as a benefit cheat after CCTV showed her taking part in exercise classes at the gym. Helen Green, 49, received more than £25,000 in Personal Independence Payment (PIP) between January 2020 and March 2023 after telling the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) she suffered severe rheumatoid arthritis in every joint and a slipped disk that left her housebound and in need of crutches.
Green, from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, claimed her arthritis was a lifelong condition that would progressively get worse and said she could not walk for more than five minutes without the use of crutches. She also told the DWP she needed help with washing, bathing, dressing, preparing meals and eating and drinking.
Helen Green, 49, received more than £25,000 in PIP after saying she had arthritis (Image: PA)
Green, from Shrewsbury in Shropshire, claimed her arthritis was a lifelong condition (Image: PA)
After a tip-off to the fraud line led to a DWP investigation, it was discovered that Green was a member of a running club competing in 10k races, one of which she completed in an hour and three minutes, and regularly attended the gym.
She was caught on security footage at the gym taking part in Zumba, body combat, body pump, core blast and spin classes.
The DWP accused Green of falsely claiming £42,013 in PIP, but a guilty plea to dishonestly failing to notify them of a change in circumstances in relation to an amended amount of £25,244 between January 2020 to March 2023 was accepted by the Crown.
She was jailed for seven months at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Tuesday.
Mandy Tobias, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Helen Green pretended she had limited movement, but instead was a regular runner and active in gym classes.
Green was jailed for seven months at Shrewsbury Crown Court (Image: PA)
“She did this for her own greed and lined her pockets with fraudulently obtained money.
“The Crown Prosecution Service presented strong evidence thanks to the investigation work of the DWP showing Green’s deception, resulting in her guilty plea.”
Minister for Transformation Andrew Western said Green’s deception was a “slap in the face to taxpayers” and those who genuinely depend on PIP to live their lives.
He added: “Helen Green wasn’t just burning calories at the gym, she was also peddling lies and our investigators caught up with her.
“Let this be a warning – you can’t outrun the DWP.”