Overview
- Helen Green was sentenced to seven months in prison at Shrewsbury Crown Court after pleading guilty to dishonestly failing to notify a change in circumstances for Personal Independence Payment.
- The court found she fraudulently received £25,244.35 between January 2020 and March 2023, and she has begun repaying part of that sum with a £2,000 payment reported in mitigation.
- Investigators opened the case after an anonymous tip and used gym CCTV, class footage and photos from three organised 10k races to show she ran and took vigorous fitness classes while claiming to be housebound.
- Judges and prosecutors accepted she has genuine conditions including rheumatoid arthritis and DVT, but said she misrepresented the extent and persistence of her disability over a sustained period.
- The Department for Work and Pensions and the Crown Prosecution Service said the conviction highlights how publicly available records and new investigative powers are being used to detect and recover incorrect PIP payments.