Hectors House Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-22648485 Talent show mum Amanda Webber guilty of £350,000 benefit fraudAmanda Webber Amanda Webber was told by the judge at Brighton Crown Court she faced a substantial jail term A mother of eight has been found guilty of fraudulently receiving more than £350,000 in benefits and tax credits. Amanda Webber, 43, claimed five of her children had disabilities and medical conditions which affected their care and mobility. But prosecutors told Brighton Crown Court the children led active lives, taking part in PE and activities including music, drama and dance. Some even auditioned for ITV's Britain's Got Talent show. Some of the children attended fee-paying schools and performed in professional TV and stage productions including Les Miserables, The Wizard of Oz and Billy Elliot. Prosecutor Andrew Evans told jurors during the five-week trial trial that the acting, dancing and singing required for the roles were inconsistent with the care and mobility described in claims for disability living allowance (DLA). Webber received an overpayment of benefits to which she was not entitled of about £353,000 over an eight-year period from 2002. At the time of her arrest she lived in a seven-bedroom property in Sussex. The false payments related to DLA, carer's allowance, tax credits and housing and council tax benefit. Webber denied 24 counts including fraud, obtaining a money transfer by deception and obtaining property by deception but was convicted on all but one count, of making a false representation. During her defence, she told the court that sending some of her children to stage schools helped their self-esteem. She said she felt the claims she made were genuine to help bring up her "extraordinarily difficult and demanding children with their myriad problems". She was remanded in custody for sentencing on Friday and was warned she would face a substantial custodial sentence. "You have been very dishonest for a long period of time," the judge told her. "You are a highly intelligent woman. "You must have realised how dishonest you were being and the time has come to face up to the consequences to your actions, those actions impacting on your wholly innocent children." Bet this going to get up the noses of those who think Benefit Cheats are chav scum with sky tv dishes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Hovis Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-22648485 Bet this going to get up the noses of those who think Benefit Cheats are chav scum with sky tv dishes! Anybody not aged or disabled should be on the basic benefits, which are not remotely generous I might add as I have been in receipt of JSA and tried living off it. You don't do that unless you have to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
righttoleech Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Not sure by what measure she is middle class. Eight children does not smack of middle class and her bulk screams salad dodging chav. I suppose the massive benefits fraud would have pushed her into the higher rate tax.......if bennies were taxable that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDW Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 I suppose the massive benefits fraud would have pushed her into the higher rate tax.......if bennies were taxable that is. She'd need to be earning well over £60k to take home the equivilent pa, and I don't suppose the £350k includes the benefits that she was actually entitled to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Bear Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 I cannot understand how this woman was able to claim those benefits without medical proof that her children actually were disabled. Or did the DWP not check it? Do they ever check anything? There was a woman on Saints and Scroungers who IIRC was claiming for fourteen children - you'd think that might raise the odd eyebrow - she didn't have or care for even one. She kept telling them she was looking after more and more siblings' kids, and for years nobody checked a thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steppenpig Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 Bet this going to get up the noses of those who think Benefit Cheats are chav scum with sky tv dishes! Where did you get the information that she was middle class? She is not described as such in the report you link. Given that she seems to be trying to breed a troupe of reality show "Celebrities", I'd say that just about puts her in "Chav" territory? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paece Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 She got four years, and they're going to claim the money back off her. Good, grasping mare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattW Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 She got four years, and they're going to claim the money back off her. Good, grasping mare. Good job too. I suppose the demand for £353k will force her house to be sold to repay the fraud. Hope other benefit claimants are sh***ing themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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