Judith Blackmore, a 64-year-old from East Riding of Yorkshire, defrauded the benefits system of £44,415 by failing to disclose her married status whilst claiming Universal Credit and council tax reductions. The fraud was uncovered when Department of Work and Pensions investigators discovered Facebook photographs of her hen do, wedding on 3 May 2024, and subsequent honeymoon in Cyprus, which contradicted her claims of being single and merely sharing a tenancy with another person.

Blackmore received £40,023 in Universal Credit and £4,392 in council tax discounts between September 2018 and June 2024 whilst declaring herself single with no other income. Bank records revealed substantial financial interdependency with her undisclosed partner, who transferred £96,000 into her account whilst she transferred £73,000 into his, indicating a genuine relationship rather than a simple shared tenancy. She admitted fraud, having signed declarations confirming the accuracy of her benefit claims.