‘Illiterate’ benefits cheat avoids jail

A mother described as illiterate scammed £60,000 in welfare after claiming she couldn’t understand benefit forms – but celebrated escaping a prison sentence by writing a Facebook post.

Susan Williams, 47, said she couldn’t read or write because she left school pretended to be a carer for her father who was actually living in a care home. 

Over a six year period, Williams pocked benefit payments for income support while raking in more cash while working as a carer – even submitting a fake national insurance number to mask her identity.  

She escaped prison and was handed a suspended jail sentence by a judge who praised her for showing ‘some remorse’ after ‘finding herself in a difficult situation’.

Hours after, Williams took to Facebook to express her gratitude at avoiding jail by writing a lengthy status praising the kindness of her sister and describing the love of her son as her ‘rock’. She signed it off saying: ‘Escaped jail today. Nearly got me self 18 months me self 18 months **** that no more stupid sh*t for me.’

Earlier, the court heard Williams, 47, from Moston in Manchester had dishonestly claimed carer’s allowance and income support over a six year period, failing to inform the DWP when she started work.

She started legitimately claiming income support as a single mother in 1999 but took up employment as a carer after giving her bosses as a fake national insurance number. 

She was pocketing care allowances by caring for her father Bernard but then carried out claiming them after he moved into a residential home.

Prosecuting Hugh Edwards told the court that she didn’t have the means to pay back the £59,945,95 that she had taken, and the DWP were going to be taking civil action.

Susan Williams, 47, said she couldn’t read or write because she left school pretended to be a carer for her father who was actually living in a care home

‘Escaped jail today’: Williams took to Facebook hours after claiming she was illiterate to thank her family for their support 

Mr Edwards said: ‘In February 1999 she claimed income support when she was the single cared for her two children. She later became the carer for her father Bernard Williams in December 2008. But she failed to notify the DWP of changes in her circumstance.

‘Her initial claim for carer’s allowance was a legitimate one when she started caring for her father in 2008, but he was then taken into a residential home in December 2010 and no longer needed her care. She failed to notify the DWP and continued to receive the carer’s allowance.

‘She was also in employment for Anne Hardman from the 5 April 2006 to the 3rd October 2010 as a carer. After a break she resumed her employment as Anne Hardman’s carer on the 26 December 2011 and continued working for her until 13 May 2012.

‘As an aside the defendant provided her employers with a false national insurance number. If this matter had gone to trial hen it would e the prosecution case that she had deliberately misled her employers and the DWP to keep them from finding out about her employment.

‘She was invited in for an interview on December 10 2014 and during that interview she denied working for Anne Hardman. She accepted that he father had been in a residential care home but she claimed that it was in 2012 which was wrong.

Over a six year period, Williams pocked benefit payments for income support while raking in more cash while working as a carer – even submitting a fake national insurance number to mask her identity

He said: ‘She claimed that she continued to see her father and take him out from the care home and look after him so as a result she felt she was still entitled to the carer’s allowance. As a result of that claim a statement was taken from the residential home her father was in and they confirmed that he had been in the care home since 2010 and he rarely left the home.

‘They also confirmed that Miss Williams did visit her father often attending with Mrs Hardman and her husband.”

The court heard Williams 13 previous offences on her record including dishonesty matters dating back to October 2000. 

The total overpayment was £59,945.95. The court heard Willliams didn’t have the means to pay back the money she had taken, and the DWP were going to be taking civil action to try and recoup it.

Defending Williams, Alistair Reid explained to the court her 16 year old daughter had just given birth to a baby and she would be helping with their care.

The court heard Williams 13 previous offences on her record including dishonesty matters dating back to October 2000

He added: ‘The defendant has had problems in her life. Her father had to be moved between three different residential homes due to difficulties. Ms Williams took over the role of his carer from her brother and she did provide care for him.

‘She did continue to care for him in more detail than is given in the statement from the care home. Her personal mitigation which doesn’t excuse her not informing the DWP is that she has educational difficulties having left school at a very young age.

‘She is effectively illiterate and the forms that had to be filled in were often done so by friends or family members.

‘She does accept that she should have informed them of her change in circumstances. When she applied for the benefits she was entitled to them legitimately. She accepts that she should have told the DWP.

‘With regards to the false national insurance number, if that matter had gone to trial then it would have been the defense’s position that due to her difficulties with education there could have been a genuine error and it was not intentional.

Sentencing the judge Mr Recorder Robert Atherton said: ‘I don’t accept for a minute that you didn’t know what you were doing’

‘I think Ms Williams had a confused faith in the effectiveness of the detection system to identify errors more than the level that is usually expected. She has not been living a lavish lifestyle as a result of the money that she had been given. She accepts the offences that she has pleaded guilty to.

‘She has been facing eviction from her current property and will be allowed to stay in there for 8 weeks until she finds somewhere new.”

‘She is having to offer additional support to her daughter and granddaughter. She is at a low risk of reoffending.’

Sentencing the judge Mr Recorder Robert Atherton said: ‘I don’t accept for a minute that you didn’t know what you were doing, of course you knew what you were doing you knew what you were entitled to and what you were not when your circumstances changed.

‘This went on for a very long time. Two of the charges are in relation to when you were working for Anne Hardman for four and a half years with a break of six months after that. You effectively stole £60,000. The benefits system is there to help people in difficulty and it depends on people being open and honest with the authorities. You were neither.

‘You have shown some remorse and you find yourself in a difficult situation – but you have stolen from the community and you must give back to the community.”

Williams who pleaded guilty to benefit fraud was sentenced to 52 weeks in jail suspended for two years. She must also complete 250 hours unpaid work and complete a 12 months supervision order.

In her post on Facebook which she says: ‘Love my life and my family.’ Williams said: ”Thank u to my sister Jo JO and ste for standing by me for the last two days been my rock my Jo has thank god I AV a sister like her ❤️❤️God know wat I do without gher escape jail today it was the most scares thing I been threw in my life and only person that was there for me was my sister ❤️❤️Nearly got me self 18 months fck that no more stupid shit for me ❤️Love my son Barry for guidin me. he my world my son miss him loads.”