A woman who claimed that she struggled to leave the house or walk was exposed as a benefit cheat after being caught on CCTV taking part in Zumba and body pump classes at the gym.
Helen Green, 49, received more than £25,000 in Personal Independence Payment (PIP) between January 2020 and March 2023.
She had told the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that she suffered severe rheumatoid arthritis in every joint and a slipped disc, which left her housebound and in need of crutches.
Green, from Shrewsbury in Shropshire, claimed that her arthritis was a lifelong condition that would progressively get worse. She said that she could not walk for more than five minutes without the use of crutches.
She also told the DWP that she needed help with washing, bathing, dressing, preparing meals and eating and drinking.
After a tip-off to the fraud line led to a DWP investigation, it was discovered that Green was a member of a running club competing in 10k races, one of which she completed in an hour and three minutes.
She also regularly attended the gym and was caught on CCTV taking part in Zumba, body combat, body pump, core blast and spin classes.
The DWP accused Green of falsely claiming £42,013 in PIP.
However, a guilty plea to dishonestly failing to notify them of a change in circumstances in relation to an amended amount of £25,244 between January 2020 to March 2023 was accepted by the Crown.
Green was jailed for seven months at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Tuesday.
Mandy Tobias, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Helen Green pretended she had limited movement, but instead was a regular runner and active in gym classes.
“She did this for her own greed and lined her pockets with fraudulently obtained money.
“The Crown Prosecution Service presented strong evidence thanks to the investigation work of the DWP showing Green’s deception, resulting in her guilty plea.”
Minister for Transformation Andrew Western said Green’s deception was a “slap in the face to taxpayers” and those who genuinely depend on PIP to live their lives.
He added: “Helen Green wasn’t just burning calories at the gym, she was also peddling lies and our investigators caught up with her.
“Let this be a warning – you can’t outrun the DWP.”
