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HER BENEFITS CLAIM WAS ORIGINALLY GENUINE OVER A DECADE AGO BUT THEN SHE FAILED TO NOTIFY THE DWP THAT HER PARTNER WAS WORKING 07:00, 01 Jun 2025Updated 12:45, 01 Jun 2025 A woman

incorrectly claimed over £53,500 that she was not entitled to across four years. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard that Marie Buchanan's initial claim was correct, as she and her partner

were not fit for work and had no other income. She received employment support allowance (ESA) and housing benefit. However, she failed to update the DWP and the Stoke-on-Trent City Council

when her circumstances changed as her partner started working on a self-employed basis between April 2019 and April 2023. The 50-year-old was overpaid £21,837.63 housing benefit between

April 2019 and July 2023 and was overpaid £31,694.35 ESA, the court heard according to Stoke-on-Trent Live. Buchanan is paying off her debts by having her Universal Credit payments deducted

by £36.97. The Middleport resident pleaded guilty to two charges of benefit fraud. The court has now sentenced her to 21 weeks in prison, which will be suspended for 12 months as well as a

rehabilitation activity requirement for 15 days. The sentence was suspended as Judge Graeme Smith noted Buchanan had a low risk of re-offending or causing harm due to her remorse and lack of

relevant convictions. The judge also added: “You would find custody particularly difficult because of your ill health." Prosecutor Harry Dickens noted that the defendant claimed ESA

from October 2009 to February 2023. She was required to notify the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) of any change in her circumstances. Article continues below Mr Dickens said:

"It transpired that her partner had worked on a self-employed basis between April 2019 and April 2023. Had she informed the DWP that he had been working she would have received a

reduced benefit or no benefit payments." Buchanan admitted in her interview that she buried her head in the sand when it came to updating the department on her change of circumstances.

She also added that her partner's work was 'hit and miss’. In mitigation, Steve Hennessy said the defendant was making repayments. £36.97 is being deducted from her universal

credit claim. Mr Hennessy said: "She is making repayments. It hurts her to do that as she is already in financial difficulty with debts. Article continues below "She has accepted

responsibility for her actions. She is ashamed to be before the court and how her family might view these proceedings." Judge Graeme Smith said: "You are not the sort of person

that I usually see sitting in the dock. I am surprised to see you sitting there at all. I accept what you did was more putting your head in the sand than making a deliberate decision to

defraud anybody. "You received in excess of £53,000 to which you were not entitled. That is money that could have been spent on other public services."