How shameless expat is helping Brit pensioners scam £5k-a-year welfare cash by making false claims about their health

DRESSED conservatively, Julie Potter looks a picture of respectability as she fills out a 32-page benefits claim for a total stranger. The expat boasts that, over the past decade, she has helped hundreds of pensioners apply for Attendance Allowance payments worth more than £5,000 a year. An expat claims she has helped hundreds of pensioners apply for Attendance Allowance payments worth more than £5,000 a year Credit: Alamy Julie Potter, 59, runs a thriving business in Spain helping people game the UK system Credit: Peter Jordan The payout — from the UK Government — is intended for people of state pension age with disabilities, or such serious health issues they are unable to care for themselves. But we can reveal that Julie, 59, who lives with her husband Barry, 63, in Spain, runs a thriving business helping people game the system. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Our undercover team arranged a meeting with the former office manager as part of an investigation into our overseas benefits bill, which costs taxpayers up to £10million a year. Julie met semi-retired war photographer Peter Jordan, 67, who does have genuine health issues including prostate cancer, which was diagnosed in April last year. He also suffers from tinnitus, loss of smell and partial deafness after experiencing explosions in Ukraine and occasionally has a bad back, which he treats with paracetamol. Peter takes statins for his high cholesterol and is on antihistamines for a condition called globus sensation — a painless feeling of having something stuck in your throat. He remains active and demonstrated this to Julie by getting up several times to walk around. But by the time she finished filling out his claim, able-bodied Peter had been reduced to a child-like state incapable of being left safely on his own for more than four hours. Most read in The Sun Julie gave advice on a claim to a Sun On Sunday undercover man, while boasting a near 100 per cent success rate Credit: Peter Jordan Expats in Spain have been raking in benefits from the UK despite living abroad Credit: Simon Jones Peter told Julie that he could “struggle putting socks on sometimes” and gets “cramps in his hands”. Julie stated he struggled to walk independently and had difficulty standing up from a chair, climbing stairs and getting out of bed. She also said he needed help going to the toilet along with dressing, washing, drying, shopping, cooking and cutting his food, and required constant monitoring at night. Boasting of her near 100-per-cent success rate, Julie told our undercover team: “We’ve gone for the high rate [of Attendance Allowance] by saying the risk of falling, and the risk of not hearing or smelling a fire. That’s not needing help on a daily basis. But we can’t say when there is going to be a fire.” Our investigation was launched following a tip-off from a whistleblower who knows of expats in Spain boasting they had received full Attendance Allowance “then were dancing on a table the next day”. Julie and her hubby hand out leaflets up and down the Costa Blanca on campsites popular with Brits, which state: “Do you live in Spain and receive a UK state pension? Thousands of people are missing out on benefits they are entitled to. You could receive £60-£90 per week. Full discretion assured.” Our reporter contacted Julie, who owns static caravans in Murcia — where she lives — and Blackpool, posing as a concerned relative calling on behalf of his uncle. Within a few minutes, she agreed to drive two hours to meet the “uncle” at a rented apartment in popular holiday resort, Benidorm. She explained she would charge 50 Euros for filling out the form and that he would also need to pay her the first four weeks of his Attendance Allowance — which could total as much £458.40 — once the claim had been approved. The UK Government website states people of state pension age can apply to receive between £76.70 and £114.60 a week for personal support. When Peter asked Julie what his chances of success were, she said there were only two potential issues — one, if he settled in Spain after Brexit and two, if he received an overseas pension. Julie said: “I’m very honest with people. If I think they won’t get it, I’ll tell them.” But Julie — who claimed to have received training from Age Concern — exhibited a complex relationship with the truth once we sat down with her on Monday. A detailed analysis of the claim form, which we photographed, and the transcript of our taped conversation shows various discrepancies. These include Julie writing down that Peter receives round-the-clock care from a friend who helps with “shopping, support to appointments, cooking, day-to-day living and dressing”. She also said the friend was a key holder and emergency contact. Beachgoers in the Costa Blanca are given leaflets urging them not to miss out on benefits Credit: Simon Jones With the Government now blowing nearly £1BILLION a day on benefits, critics hope a crackdown is on the horizon Credit: Stewart Williams But Peter explained a friend pops round occasionally but doesn’t have a key to his apartment. She also ticked a box stating that Peter “needs help getting in and out of bed”. When Julie asked if Peter needed help with “personal care” such as toileting or showering, he replied: “No, that’s a bit embarrassing.” She stated that he needs help looking after his appearance twice a day, washing and drying himself twice a day, using the shower once a day and that he needs to be taken to the loo six times a day and has difficulty rising from a chair and walking around. None of these claims were agreed to by Peter, who repeatedly rose from his chair during the meeting. He did mention that he occasionally used a seat when he showered, which prompted Julie to ask if he had installed grab handles. Peter joked: “That would be handy!” She said: “So you’re going to get them soon? I’ll put that down. I’ll put in brackets ‘being fitted’ so again we’re not telling any lies.” On another section concerning meals, she wrote: “I am not safe and unable to prepare and cook meals.” This was presumably prompted by Peter saying a friend sometimes “takes over” when he is cooking. But the gap between the conversation and the contents of the form was startling — and her ability to exaggerate ailments boundless. She also seemed adept at coaching her customers, at one point telling Peter: “Like I said, always be truthful with your answers. If you always use the lift, just say ‘I don’t use the stairs, I use the lift’. “Whether you can physically climb the stairs — just say ‘I always use the lift’. If you did always use the lift, you wouldn’t know if you can climb the stairs because you’ve not tried it.” Our investigation was launched following a tip-off from a whistleblower in Spain Credit: Simon Jones Our overseas benefits bill, which costs taxpayers up to £10million a year Credit: Simon Jones Julie concluded that Peter can only be safely left alone for between two and four hours. Attendance Allowance is not means tested so a person’s income is irrelevant — and Julie says the Department of Work and Pensions only recently started calling expats to check the validity of their claims. Yet with the Government now blowing nearly £1BILLION a day on benefits, critics hope a crackdown is on the horizon. Julie said Attendance Allowance is much easier to claim when a person shares a home with a friend or partner. She admitted: “It’s more difficult because you live on your own. “We’ve put all the difficulties you have and that you have someone on call if needed, so hopefully that will be enough.” Asked how many Attendance Allowance claims she has filled out on behalf of other people, Julie said: “It’s in the hundreds, including England as well. “I always say to people there’s no point lying. You’ve got to be realistic with the things you are writing. “People say to me, ‘What should I write?’ Then other people say, ‘Oh no, I do that safely myself.’ But when you get into it with them, they can’t do it safely themselves — they think they can because they’ve just got on with it.” The taxpayer will be thankful to hear Peter has no interest in claiming and has asked for the form Julie filled out to be destroyed. Responding to our article — and claims she has helped people play the system — Julie said: “Attendance Allowance is not just for people that receive support, it’s for people that need it. “I don’t lie on forms. I put down what I actually believe. I would never make a false claim. “I specifically state during the meeting that I wouldn’t lie and I encourage them not to lie. I think I am doing this the right way.” Helen Whately, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, said: “This is a racket run at the taxpayer’s expense. This scam takes gaming the benefits system to a new level.” The Department of Work and Pensions said: “We thank The Sun on Sunday for raising this, and whilst we cannot comment on individual allegations, we take accusations of fraud extremely seriously. “We have zero tolerance for fraud. Where investigations show wrong-doing we will seek prosecutions.” Claims she made on form about undercover The Sun On Sunday man Unable to cook meals Requires help getting in and out of bed Needs round-the-clock care from a friend Has difficulty rising from a chair and walking Assistance needed for showering once a day and using the toilet six times a day Comment now