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.
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.
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.
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.
Hull Crown Court heard she was overpaid benefit of £44,415 -£40,023 from Universal Credit and £4,392 from the council tax discount.
But the scam quickly unravelled when Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) investigators discovered Facebook photos of her hen do, wedding and honeymoon.
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.
She captioned the carousel of photos: ‘Well, we did it. Thanks to all who helped make our day, and my beautiful children and grandchildren.’
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.
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.
She wrote: ‘Yesterday the girls went out shopping at 11 !! Landed home 12pm (as you do) my second hen do, thanks to all for lovely day… great company as usual.’
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.
She shared photos of the couple indulging in seafood and ice-cream, later joking she would be returning to England ‘two stone heavier’.
Blackmore admitted fraud by failing to disclose information to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council between July 1, 2019 and June 17, 2024. She also admitted to a similar offence involving the DWP between September 18, 2018, and June 17, 2024.
Prosecutor Holly Thompson told Hull Crown Court that Blackmore ‘didn’t mention’ she was married ‘as she wasn’t asked’ about 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)
She also had debts from setting up her ‘fledgling’ horsebox refurbishment business.
In October 2018, Blackmore completed an online claim for Universal Credit with the DWP and gave an address in Stony Lane, Brough.
Miss Thompson said: ‘She confirmed she was single, was living with a joint tenant and had no money and savings. She declared she was also caring for a relative.
‘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.’
In July 2019, Blackmore reported a change in address and housing costs to the DWP. She said she would be living with another tenant in the Beverley area.
However, an investigation of bank statements for her and her ‘co-tenant’ showed ‘financial interdependency’ rather than them being simply joint tenants.
The court heard they had done little to conceal their relationship from the landlord, who they presented to as a couple, rather than 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.
The DWP then launched an investigation into her social media 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.
Investigators also obtained the marriage certificate.
In addition to the wedding snaps, Blackmore (pictured here on honeymoon) was shown on her Facebook profile of being in a relationship with her ‘co-tenant’ since August 28, 2013
During an interview, Blackmore admitted the information she had concealed from the DWP would have affected her benefits 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.
She said that while they had lived together since 2011, they were not always a couple.
Companies House records showed the man was a director of the horseboxes company owned by 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.’
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.
She told the court: ‘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.’
Blackmore is currently repaying the fraudulently obtained money at £300-a-month.
Miss Baggs said: ‘She will increase that when she can. She is determined to make this wrong right. She has no intention of returning to this court or any other court centre.’
Recorder Richard Wright KC gave Blackmore a 16-month suspended prison sentence and ordered her to complete 120 hours’ unpaid work.
He told her: ‘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.’
He warned that if she committed any more offences, she would be serving a 16-month sentence ‘for starters’.
The Daily Mail has contacted Ms Blackmore for comment.
