A KENDAL mother-of-two who falsely claimed more than £6,000 in disability benefits has been given a ten-week curfew.

Karen Blocksidge, 38, of Peat Lane, failed to tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that her debilitating condition had improved, and continued to receive Disability Living Allowance even though she was on the mend.

South Lakeland Magistrates’ Court heard how she applied for the funds in July 2011, in relation to a number of medical conditions including a degenerative disease of the spine, endometriosis and osteoarthritis in her hips, ankles and knees.

These, she had claimed, caused her to require 24-hour care and help with dressing, washing and using the toilet.

Prosecuting for the Crown on behalf of the DWP, Lisa Hine said: “On the claim form Ms Blocksidge stated that she needed to use arm crutches to get about, but could only do this when she was ‘having a good day’.”

She added that the Crown was not suggesting that the claim was illegitimate from July 2011 until the time it stopped in September of this year, but that ‘circumstances clearly changed’.

Speaking at Wednesday’s hearing she said: “Evidence became available to show that the defendant’s mobility had improved and her care needs were no longer as stated on the claim form.

“Surveillance took place almost on a daily basis between August 14 and September 17 this year and during this time Ms Blocksidge was observed, on a number of occasions, walking at normal and brisk paces from her home address to her parked car, unaided by sticks or arm crutches, alone, and with no apparent difficulty.”

Ms Blocksidge pleaded guilty to the offence and in an interview with the DWP had admitted that she would no longer have qualified for the allowance from October 2012.

In mitigation Paul Anthony said: “Ms Blocksidge tells me that in her earlier life she had been attacked and that her medical condition stemmed from that incident. “She was awarded the disability allowance in July 2011 and there was never any questions raised about it at that stage.

“By October 2012 she was on the road to significant recovery although she acknowledges she was slow in recognising this and to her shame she took no action to notify the DWP of an improvement.”

He added: “She did not perpetrate the money to fund a lavish lifestyle. As a single parent she used the funds to make ends meet.”

The curfew will require Blocksidge to stay at home from 9pm to 6am. She was also given an 18-month supervision order, told to pau a £60 victim surcharge, £85 court costs and the £6,244.30 of fraudulent money, which she had begun to repay. 

DWP north west area fraud manager, Vernon Sanderson, said: “Now that Karen Blocksidge has been criminally convicted for theft of tax payers’ money we will begin the process of recovering it entirely.

“This case highlights the fact that we take fraud seriously and I would encourage anyone who wishes to report a benefit fraud to do so by ringing the national benefit fraud hotline on 0800 854440.”