Lying mum's £20k scam caught out by innocuous Facebook posts and photos of her running

A benefits cheat mum with Multiple Sclerosis who claimed more than £20,000 she was not entitled to was caught out running 5k and 10k races. Sara Morris, 49, was told by a judge she lied about the severity of her condition and 'set out' to scam the taxpayer in what he called 'a planned, professional and deliberate fraud'.

As a result, Morris was awarded an 'enhanced rate' of payment - a rate a court heard is awarded to people who are wheelchair bound or have no legs at all. But she regularly running and competing in organised running events - and was caught out by her own Facebook posts

Morris was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2005 but in 2020, she exaggerated the extent of her condition and claimed Personal Independence Payment (PIP), the court heard.

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She claimed she lacked the power to stand at the cooker, lacked balance and experienced difficulties getting out of the bath unassisted. She also claimed to be so anxious when she left the house that even a trip to the pharmacy to collect her medication left her in tears.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard she was paid £2,292.63 in PIP a month. But the mum-of-three 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, reports Stoke on Trent Live. Morris was overpaid £20,528.83 between October 20, 2020 and April 25, 2023. Now she has been jailed for eight months.

Prosecutor Regan Walters said: "The benefit was paid on the basis she would notify the DWP of any changes which affected the amount of benefits. The defendant signed and dated the PIP claim form on November 20, 2020