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A benefit cheat claiming to be single mother jailed for living with her partner (5 December 2012)

Date: 05/12/2012
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, A benefit cheat claiming to be single mother jailed for living with her partner

A woman who wrongly claimed £75,000 in benefits by claiming to be a single mother was jailed for more than two years after benefit fraud investigators found a man hiding under her bed quilt.

A judge described the mother of three Andrea Blakeburn, useless, who must be jailed because the British people had had enough of benefit cheats.

Blakeburn, 46, repeatedly told officials she lived alone with her children. But neighbours knew she lived with long-term partner Ronald Thomas and an investigation was launched by the Department for Work and Pensions after a tip-off.

In a subsequent raid at Blakeburn’s home in Darlington, Co Durham, her seven years fraud had been exposed when officials found Thomas hiding in her double bed.

His lover’s lies helped her get thousands of pounds a year in council tax relief and housing benefit from Darlington Borough Council.

The Teesside Crown Court heard that she also received thousands in employment support allowance, income support and job seekers allowance.

Defending Blakeburn benefit fraud lawyer argued that she had not lived an extravagant lifestyle on the money and used it simply to feed and clothe her children.

But Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, QC, told her that there were many people in her position, struggling to make ends meet and that she was not an exception.

Whatever arguments were put forth in the defence a message had to be sent out to people who carry out benefit fraud that they would go to the prison he added.

Blakeburn was jailed for two years and four months after admitting 10 charges of making false statements and two of failing to notify a change in circumstances between 2003 and 2010.

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