A mother who fraudulently claimed over £67,000 in benefits by insisting she could not walk has been jailed after being caught dancing at a social club.
Nadine Hill, 55, from Fitzwilliam, West Yorkshire, kept up an eight-year con – throughout which she told authorities she could barely move and required constant care.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) launched a covert investigation after receiving a tip-off about her activities in early 2023.
Leeds Crown Court heard how Hill’s “sophisticated and planned” fraud included claims she couldn’t stand for more than 30 seconds or care for herself.
Nadine Hill was jailed at Leeds Crown Court
PA
Hill first made a claim for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in 2014, telling authorities she could not even “use a tin opener” or look after herself.
In 2016, she claimed additional benefits, saying her daughter had to care for her due to regular falls and slips.
But by 2021, Hill had escalated her lies to another level, claiming she was unable to leave her home at all.
When officials suggested a medical assessment, she refused, claiming it would be “too painful”.
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Investigators discovered she also held a Barnsley FC season ticket between 2016 and 2023, attending all home games and nine away matches (stock pic)
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The court heard she was simultaneously telling another department she was fit to work in order to receive further benefits.
DWP surveillance quickly uncovered Hill’s lies, revealing she regularly visited supermarkets by herself.
Investigators discovered she also held a Barnsley FC season ticket between 2016 and 2023, attending all home games and nine away matches.
She was also observed dancing at a working men’s club, while her bank records showed regular payments at pubs, supermarkets and football grounds.
The DWP launched a covert investigation after receiving a tip-off about her activities in early 2023
PA
Judge Christopher Batty delivered a scathing assessment of Hill’s fraud, saying he “did not buy a single word” of her claims.
“You decided to embark on a fraudulent application,” the judge told Hill directly at Leeds Crown Court.
He added: “You refused an examination because it was far too painful because you knew it would be found out that it was nonsense.”
The judge described the fraud as “sophisticated and planned”, adding: “It’s just so serious. People have to understand that they can’t make these types of claims.”
Hill was jailed for two years after admitting fraud by false representation and two counts of failing to disclose information to make a gain.
The court heard she had previously worked as a foster mother with no prior convictions.
A separate hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act will be scheduled to determine how Hill will repay the £67,257 she fraudulently claimed.
