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Benefits cheat who claimed £7,600 of taxpayer cash saying he was too weak to lift a phone was caught working on video after entering 10k run
A benefits fraudster from Torquay was caught after being filmed carrying out manual labour and completing a 10k running race, despite claiming he was too weak to lift a phone or a pan. Ryan Scott, 39, had been receiving Personal Independence Payments after a workplace accident left him unable to walk more than 20 metres, but an anonymous tip-off prompted a Department for Work and Pensions investigation that exposed the fraud. The case highlights the DWP's use of surveillance and tip-offs to catch benefit cheats who fail to report improvements in their condition.
Investigators found photos of Scott completing the endurance race and bank records showing he had returned to plastering work, before filming him over several days climbing ladders and carrying heavy equipment with apparent ease. Exeter Magistrates Court heard his health had improved by May 2023, yet he continued receiving payments until April 2024, generating an overpayment of £7,625.68. He was sentenced to a 15-day community order and ordered to pay a fine, costs and victim surcharge totalling £360, and had already begun repaying the money.
In short
- Ryan Scott, 39, faked disability to claim £7,600 in benefits
- Filmed doing plastering work and running a 10k race
- Sentenced to community order and £360 fine at Exeter court
Explained simply
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a UK benefit that helps people with the extra costs of living with a long-term health condition or disability. It is assessed according to how a person’s condition affects daily activities and getting around, and recipients should report relevant changes in their circumstances.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) administers PIP and can investigate suspected fraud, including information provided by members of the public. In this case, investigators examined Ryan Scott’s activities and earnings after receiving a tip-off.
The case concerns the gap between the limits Scott reported and evidence that he had returned to physical work and running. It also shows how benefit fraud cases can involve repayment of overpaid money as well as penalties imposed by a court.
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