Overview
- At Preston Crown Court, Sarah Yarwood was sentenced to three years and nine months after admitting fraud-related offences.
- Prosecutors said she obtained £27,998 in Personal Independence Payment and £42,157 in Universal Credit between 2017 and 2023.
- In October 2017 she triggered PIP special rules for people given less than six months to live, leading to a fast-tracked three-year award.
- The court heard she submitted multiple forged medical documents, including 10 letters, and claimed to live alone despite council records showing she lived with partner Ian Whittaker.
- Judge Michael Maher condemned her lies as “grotesque” and “relentless,” while the defence cited complex PTSD and past abuse, and the court was told she has repaid only £1,196 and is about £30,000 in debt.