Benefits cheat mum ordered to repay £22k after Facebook posts exposed her

Daily Mirror

3 days ago

Benefits cheat Sara Morris has been ordered to repay thousands of pounds after exaggerating the extent of her MS and being exposed by her own Facebook posts
A benefits cheat mum has been ordered to repay more than £20,000 after she was exposed by Facebook posts. Sara Morris, 50, claimed the money while competing in scores of running events
The mum-of-three was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2005. However, she exaggerated the extent of her condition in 2020 and claimed Personal Independence Payment (PIP). She claimed she was unable to stand at her cooker or get out of a bath unassisted. She also claimed to be so anxious when she left the house and even a trip to the pharmacy to collect her medication left her in tears.
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Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard she was paid £2,292.63 in PIP a month, Stoke-on-Trent Live reports. But she failed to mention to the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) that she was in fact a member of the Stone Master Marathoners and regularly ran 5km and 10km races. She was caught out by her own Facebook posts of her running.
Morris, of Walton Way, Stone, was overpaid £20,528.83 between October 20, 2020 and April 25, 2023. She pleaded guilty to dishonestly making a false statement to obtain a benefit and was jailed for eight months last July.
Now she has reappeared at the same court for a Proceeds of Crime hearing. Judge Graeme Smith was told Morris benefited from her criminality by £22,386.02. He ordered Morris to repay £22,386.02 within 28 days or serve nine months in prison in default.
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The court heard investigators carried out surveillance on Morris from February 5 to February 20, 2023. Prosecutor Regan Walters said: "On February 5 she took part in a five-mile race and was seen running without assistance and showed no signs of balance problems. On February 11 she was seen running with the Stone Master Marathoners and showed no signs of discomfort."
The investigation uncovered that Morris competed in 73 races between May 2019 and December 2022. The defendant was interviewed on May 11, 2023 and she stated her MS had worsened and she was suffering from fatigue.
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But she confirmed she had been a member of Stone Master Marathoners running club prior to making her claim. She added she filled in her PIP form on her worst day.
Paul Cliff, mitigating, said Morris was diagnosed with MS 19 years ago and the 'severity of its impact ebbs and flows to a degree'. Mr Cliff said: "But it is accepted by her that the application did not give the full picture. It crossed over into the realms of dishonesty."
He said Morris's marriage broke down in the spring of 2020. He said Morris did not enjoy a lavish lifestyle as a result of her fraudulent claim. Mr Cliff said: "She lost her home because of financial problems and was struggling to keep her head above water financially.
"The application did not give the full picture. She did say running was one of the ways she tried to manage her MS. She has found it difficult to come to terms with her dishonesty."
Morris must also pay a £187 surcharge.