A former nurse from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Helen Green, 49, has been jailed for seven months after fraudulently claiming Personal Independence Payments (PIP) while actively participating in 10k races and Zumba classes. Green collected £25,244 over three years by falsely stating she was housebound due to severe rheumatoid arthritis and a slipped disc.
Fraud Exposed By Anonymous Tip
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was alerted by an anonymous tip-off about Green’s misleading claims. Investigators tracked her activities, uncovering footage of her completing three competitive 10k races in Shropshire and engaging in gym sessions, contradicting her assertions of limited mobility.
Discrediting Claims Of Disability
Green maintained she could not walk more than 50 metres without crutches, required assistance with daily tasks, and was largely housebound. However, she was recorded lifting heavy shopping bags into her Motability vehicle—granted based on her claimed disability—and finishing a race in just 1 hour and 3 minutes.
Court Sentencing
Green pleaded guilty to dishonestly failing to notify the DWP of her improved condition, which had allowed her increased physical activity since 2016. The judge described her actions as “breathtakingly dishonest” and sentenced her to seven months’ imprisonment, making a strong statement against benefits fraud.
