A grandmother cheated her way to more than £41,000 in benefits to splash out on luxury holidays abroad – and was caught out by her holiday snaps.
Geraldine Thomas, 54, spent the money on all inclusive breaks to Egypt – after lying that she lived alone.
But Thomas, of Bargoed, was secretly living with her partner Raymond Adams who accompanied her on the trips abroad.
The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) launched an investigation to discover the couple’s happy holiday snaps posted online.
A court heard she pocketed a total of £41,350 by wrongly claiming income support, employment support, housing benefit and council tax benefit over five years.
Thomas admitted three counts of benefit fraud at Newport Crown Court.
Judge recorder Patrick Harrington QC told her: “I know what the money has been spent on. It was spent on an expensive holiday wasn’t it?
“You were not the instigator of this but you continued the relationship and you continued claiming the money for a very long time.
“Benefit fraud is rife and costs honest hardworking people a lot of money. You committed offences which aggregated more than £41,000.
“That is a great deal of money and it is your fault that you have found yourself in this position now.”
Thomas was handed a 12-month suspended sentence and told she would face a proceeds of crime hearing to recover the money.
Donna James, senior fraud leader of the DWP, said officials were trying to regain the money.
She said: “This is a blatant act of fraud.
“As a department we are taking action to retrieve overpayments but also any assets amassed while the offences that have been committed were ongoing.”
Benefit fraud should most certainly carry a mandatory five year custodial sentence, and all the money should be paid back one way or another.
Absolutely agree with you but it should work for all including councillors and politicians who defraud the country.