The UK Government have been cracking down on benefit fraud over recent years and they have just caught another benefit thief, who reportedly used bingo as her cover story. The lady in question, Jennifer Watson claimed that she was disabled and unable to walk without assistance and that her dream of attending her local bingo club would never materialise due to her disabilities. In total it is though that Jennifer pocketed just under £58,000 in benefit handouts over the years and whilst claiming income support and disability allowance she worked at both the Co-op Supermarket and Argos. 

Like many benefit fraud cases we have seen off late it was a tip off by a member of the public which led to benefit fraud investigators putting Miss Watson under surveillance. In some lines of work like the online bingo industry for instance I would imagine that it would be fairly easy for people to try and commit benefit fraud, as lots of these jobs are ‘work for home’ self employed type jobs, therefore harder for the department of work to identify.

I have come across cases like this over the years within the bingo industry, but as always the long arm of the law will hopefully eventually catch benefit fraudsters out. In the case of Jennifer Watson, she has been employed by two reputable companies since 2003, so it does beg the question just how could someone who is paying income tax get away with working and claiming benefits at the same for so very long?

The Mail Online picked up this story, where they reported Judge Thomas Teague QC, told her: “You told the authorities that you were in a wheelchair, you couldn't walk indoors, and that you had a career to look after you. We are then told you are working at a store as a supervisor and we certainly never saw any proof of the mythical wheelchair. I have my doubts as to how much this was delusional. You have been very fortunate today.”

In her benefit claim, she apparently stated she had “dreams of going to bingo, but had no-one to take her and she thinks that her life has come to an end”, which in itself should have raised some eyebrows for a few different reasons.

Jennifer Watson was given a 24 week suspended sentence for two years, plus a two month suspension order and a three month curfew, where she is not allowed out between 7pm at night and 7am in the morning, at the Warrington Crown Court.