Claire Francis, from Stockton, started claiming income support in May 1997 and housing benefit and council tax benefit in April 2002, all legitimately. But the claims became dishonest as she did not tell the authorities that her working partner was living with her. She was overpaid £24,057 between September 2005 and October 2007.
Ms Francis and her partner, the children’s father, had a long-term but on-and-off relationship before they lived together and became a “nuclear family”, which still stands. Her lawyer said, “They work together to deal with their financial difficulties and to provide for their children, the eldest of whom has special needs".
Judge George Moorhouse told her they were offences over a relatively long period of time which were so serious as to justify a prison sentence. Neither her children nor financial problems justified the crimes, but bearing in mind her circumstances he suspended the nine-month sentence for two years with 18 months’ supervision.
The effect is that she's suffered no real punishment at all.
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