Cornwall Woman Avoids Jail After £40,000 Benefit Fraud Spanning Six Years

A Cornwall woman, Eleanor Chadder, has been convicted for defrauding the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) of almost £40,000 over a six-year period but has avoided a prison sentence.

Chadder, who worked as a youth worker, was found guilty of dishonestly failing to inform the DWP that she was cohabiting with her partner as a married couple while receiving Employment Support Allowance. Between August 2015 and May 2021, she claimed a total of £38,300 in benefits, the court was told.

Recorder Richard Paige described the case as one of “sustained dishonesty over six years” and sentenced Chadder to four months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

Defence barrister Ramsay Quaife stated that the conviction had brought “shame and embarrassment” to his client.

Despite the substantial sum of money wrongly claimed, Chadder will repay the amount at a rate of £100 per month as part of a clawback arrangement.

Labour Party’s Minister for Transformation, Andrew Western, reiterated the government’s firm stance against benefit fraud. He emphasised, “The message is clear: don’t think you can steal from hardworking taxpayers. Whatever your reasons for committing benefit fraud, know that our investigators are wise to every trick in the book and we will find you.”

He also encouraged the public to report suspected abuse, saying, “And if you know somebody is fleecing the system, report it.”

A DWP spokesperson added that the department remains committed to tackling fraud, highlighting a recent reduction in fraud and error by a quarter since its peak in 2022. “We will leave no stone unturned,” they affirmed.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith, former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and former Conservative Party leader, has called for more rigorous enforcement. He stated, “They should be keeping up with individual prosecutions to send a message to the public that fraudsters will be caught.”