Benefits cheat who swindled £44k by claiming she was single exposed by her own wedding pics on Facebook

A BENEFITS cheat who swindled £44,000 by claiming to be single was caught out by her own wedding pictures on Facebook. Judith Blackmore simply “didn’t mention” she was married when filling out the form to receive Universal Credit. Judith Blackmore raked in more than £40,000 in benefits by claiming she was single Credit: Ben Lack She had shared pictures from her wedding on FacebookCredit: Ben Lack The 64-year-old was handed the benefit and a reduction on her council tax on the basis she was single and had no other income. But Blackmore was snared after investigators saw photos of her wedding reception and honeymoon on Facebook. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! She has now admitted fraud between September 2018 and June 2024 but was avoided jail and was instead handed a 16-month suspended sentence. Hull Crown Court heard Blackmore applied for Universal Credit on October 14, 2018. She confirmed she was single, was living with a joint tenant and had no money and savings. Blackmore also claimed she was caring for a relative, prosecutor Holly Thompson said. She added: “She was required to notify the DWP if she was living with a partner while she was in receipt of Universal Credit. “She signed a declaration to confirm the information she had given was complete and correct and that she would report any changes promptly.” Most read in The Sun Blackmore had also shared pictures from her honeymoon Credit: Ben Lack She was handed a suspended sentence when she appeared in court Credit: MEN Media On July 27, 2019, Blackmore reported a change to her address and housing costs and claimed she lived with another tenant. But an investigation of bank statements for her and the “co-tenant” showed “financial interdependency” rather than them simply being joint tenants. Authorities found large sums of money had been transferred between their bank accounts – including £96,000 into Blackmore’s accounts and £73,000 into his. As a result, investigators dug into the crook’s Facebook and discovered she had been in a relationship with the man since 2013. They also discovered photos of Blackmore’s wedding reception and her luxury honeymoon. A marriage certificate was obtained that confirmed Blackmore had got married to the so-called tenant on May 3, 2024. Companies House records further showed he was a director of a horsebox firm owned by Blackmore. In total, the cheat was overpaid £44,415 – £40,023 from Universal Credit and £4,392 from council tax discount. When questioned by the authorities, Blackmore admitted she had lived with the man for many years but denied they were in a relationship the entire time. Julia Baggs, mitigating, said her client had debt from setting up the horsebox business. She added: “She buried her head in the sand. It is something that she has let spiral out of control and she feels a deep sense of shame. “She has always been a hard-working lady.” As well as a suspended jail term, Blackmore was also ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work. Sentencing, Recorder Richard Wright KC said: “This was persistent dishonesty over a long period of time and there were numerous opportunities to cease the dishonest conduct. “You persisted in deliberately obtaining money which you knew full well you were not entitled to obtain. “That money was not, of course, free money. It comes from hardworking taxpayers to provide a safety net. Over a persistent period of time, you were stealing something in the region of £44,000 – a significant sum of money. “This was a case of multiple false declarations over a considerable period of time. I accept that you are ashamed and remorseful.”