Louise Stuart, 60, from Maryport, Cumbria, has been handed an 18-month suspended prison sentence after being caught defrauding the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) out of £85,000. She claimed Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and housing benefits by falsely stating she had no additional income and was living alone.
DWP investigators uncovered that Stuart had been living with her fiancé, Russel Harrison, 67, since September 2016, disqualifying her from the benefits she received. The amount to be repaid totals £85,844, including £49,059 in ESA and £36,785 in housing benefit.
Despite the substantial fraud, the court took into consideration Stuart’s mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts. Her defense highlighted her longstanding work history, including 18 years as a healthcare assistant, and characterized her as trustworthy and selfless.
Defence barrister Emily Wilson stressed that Stuart’s offenses were driven by financial hardship and her inability to meet basic needs after ill health forced her out of work. The court acknowledged the dishonesty but ultimately decided to suspend her sentence, with Judge Fanning stating, “You knew it was dishonest… but you are going home.”
The judge also noted the improbability of recovering the full amount due to the extremely low repayment rate of £50 per month, which would take over 141 years to clear the debt. He expressed concern about the public cost of incarceration, which would amount to approximately £80,000.