Helen Green was jailed for seven months after officials acted on a tip-off and she was caught running a 10-kilometre marathon.
Image: Screenshot
A woman who fraudulently claimed R552,000 in disability benefits has been sentenced to jail after being caught participating in a 10-kilometre marathon. She claimed arthritis left her disabled.
Helen Green from Shrewsbury, in the United Kingdom, was a member of a running club and completed the marathon run in just over an hour.
CCTV footage also showed her taking various classes at a gym.
The BBC reported that the 49-year-old told the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that severe rheumatoid arthritis in every joint and a slipped disc in her back had left her housebound.
It was further reported that she claimed the condition was incurable and would progressively worsen. As a result, she was unable to walk for more than five minutes without the crutches.
She also told the DWP she needed help with washing, bathing, dressing, preparing meals and eating and drinking.
Helen Green was jailed for seven months after officials acted on a tip-off and it was established that she regularly attended a range of gym classes, including Zumba, and a cycling class.
Image: Screenshot
The UK publication said Green was jailed for seven months after the DWP acted on a tip-off and established that she regularly attended a range of gym classes, including Zumba, Body Combat, Body Pump, Core Blast and Spin classes.
Meanwhile, the Daily Record reported that Green pleaded guilty to dishonestly failing to notify DWP of changes in her circumstances.
The publication said she fraudulently claimed from the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for three years. It was said the tax-free allowance is intended to help people with costs associated with a disability or a long-term physical or mental health condition.
Speaking to the publication, UK's Labour Minister for Transformation, Andrew Western said: “This is a slap in the face to taxpayers and the genuine claimants who depend on PIP to live their lives.
“Helen Green wasn’t just burning calories at the gym; she was also peddling lies and our investigators caught up with her," Western was quoted as saying.