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A benefits cheat fleeced more than £44,000 from 'hard-working' taxpayers by claiming she was single until investigators found photos of her hen do, wedding and Cyprus honeymoon plastered across Facebook.
asserted
photos → see → Facebook
Judith Blackmore, from Beverley in East Riding of Yorkshire, never disclosed she was in a relationship when she applied for and received benefits and reduced council tax.
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she → disclose → tax
The self-described entrepreneur, 64, received Universal Credit on the basis she was single, had no other income and simply shared a tenancy with a man.
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she → describe → man
Blackmore, who owns a horsebox refurbishment business, also received a council tax reduction on the basis that she was single with no other income or capital.
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she → own → income
Hull Crown Court heard she was overpaid benefit of £44,415 -£40,023 from Universal Credit and £4,392 from the council tax discount.
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she → hear → discount
But the scam quickly unravelled when Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) investigators discovered Facebook photos of her hen do, wedding and honeymoon.
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investigators → unravel → do
Photos shared by the horsewoman show her wearing a blue gown and floral headband as she stood beside her husband at the reception on May 3, 2024.
uncertain
she → share → May
She captioned the carousel of photos: 'Well, we did it.
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we → caption → it
Thanks to all who helped make our day, and my beautiful children and grandchildren.'
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who → make → day
Photos shared by benefits cheat Judith Blackmore show her wearing a blue gown and floral headband as she stood beside her husband at the reception on May 3, 2024 (pictured)
Just a week earlier, Blackmore celebrated her 'second hen do' with a champagne-fuelled train journey and a day at the shops with five female friends.
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Blackmore → share → friends
The women were pictured enjoying a glass of Nicolas de Montbart Champagne Brut on the train before later stopping for more drinks at the pub.
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women → picture → pub
She wrote: 'Yesterday the girls went out shopping at 11 !!
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girls → write → 11
Landed home 12pm (as you do) my second hen do, thanks to all for lovely day...
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you → land → day
A few days after the wedding, Blackmore shared a series of happy snaps from her honeymoon in Cyprus, where she stayed in an oceanfront resort.
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she → share → resort
She shared photos of the couple indulging in seafood and ice-cream, later joking she would be returning to England 'two stone heavier'.
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she → share → England
Blackmore admitted fraud by failing to disclose information to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council between July 1, 2019 and June 17, 2024.
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Blackmore → admit → July
She also admitted to a similar offence involving the DWP between September 18, 2018, and June 17, 2024.
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She → admit → September
Prosecutor Holly Thompson told Hull Crown Court that Blackmore 'didn't mention' she was married 'as she wasn't asked' about it.
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she → tell → it
Just a week earlier, Blackmore celebrated her 'second hen do' with a champagne-fuelled train journey and a day at the shops with five female friends (pictured)
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Blackmore → celebrate → friends
She also had debts from setting up her 'fledgling' horsebox refurbishment business.
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She → have → business
In October 2018, Blackmore completed an online claim for Universal Credit with the DWP and gave an address in Stony Lane, Brough.
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Blackmore → complete → Lane
Miss Thompson said: 'She confirmed she was single, was living with a joint tenant and had no money and savings.
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she → say → money
She declared she was also caring for a relative.
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she → declare → relative
'She was required to notify the DWP if she was living with a partner while she was in receipt of Universal Credit.
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she → require → Credit
'She signed a declaration to confirm the information she had given was complete and correct and that she would report any changes promptly.
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she → sign → changes
In July 2019, Blackmore reported a change in address and housing costs to the DWP.
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Blackmore → report → DWP
She said she would be living with another tenant in the Beverley area.
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she → say → area
However, an investigation of bank statements for her and her 'co-tenant' showed 'financial interdependency' rather than them being simply joint tenants.
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them → show → interdependency
The court heard they had done little to conceal their relationship from the landlord, who they presented to as a couple, rather than individuals.
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they → hear → individuals
Records showed large sums were transferred between their bank accounts, with the man transferring £96,000 into Blackmore's account and her moving £73,000 into his.
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her → show → his
The DWP then launched an investigation into her social media accounts.
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DWP → launch → accounts
In addition to the wedding snaps, Blackmore was shown on her Facebook profile of being in a relationship with her 'co-tenant' since August 28, 2013.
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Blackmore → show → August
Investigators also obtained the marriage certificate.
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Investigators → obtain → certificate
During an interview, Blackmore admitted the information she had concealed from the DWP would have affected her benefits payments.
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she → admit → payments
The court was told she never notified the DWP that she was living with a partner and later denied they were in a relationship the entire time.
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they → tell → relationship
She said that while they had lived together since 2011, they were not always a couple.
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they → say → 2011
Companies House records showed the man was a director of the horseboxes company owned by Blackmore.
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man → show → Blackmore
Julia Baggs, mitigating, said that Blackmore had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and was 'very, very sorry for her actions'.
She continued: 'She fully appreciates that this is entirely dishonest conduct.'
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this → mitigate → actions
Miss Baggs said Blackmore had 'buried her head in the sand' while juggling multiple responsibilities including caring for her mother and starting her horsebox business.
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Blackmore → say → business
She told the court: 'It is something that she has let spiral out of control and she feels a deep sense of shame.
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she → tell → shame
…and 13 more, not listed.
The Aporia
