The overpayments in these benefit fraud cases heard at court in the last year add up to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

In one case, Recorder Patrick Harrington QC said: "Benefit fraud is rife and costs honest hardworking people a lot of money."

According to figures from the Department for Work and Pensions, £183.5bn was spent on all benefits payments in Britain in 2018-19.

Around £2.3bn of that was overpaid due to fraud, which is roughly 1.2% of the amount spent.

Here are some of the most shocking recent cases:

A carer claimed nearly £30,000 despite owning four properties

Corinne Taylor

The defendant: Corinne Taylor, 64, from Pembroke Dock, admitted one count of benefit fraud.

How much? She falsely claimed £27,694 in employment and support allowance between December, 2012 and June, 2017.

Prosecution case: Taylor failed to disclose £30,000 of income from rental properties and the fact she owned four properties.

Mitigation: She declined a formal interview with the Department for Work and Pensions following "poor advice".

She was in the process of selling off one of her properties to pay the debts.

The sentence: Taylor was given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for eight months. 

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Husband and wife claimed more than £25,000 by failing to declare inheritance

Geraldine and Kevin Daniels

The defendants: Kevin and Geraldine Daniels, both 64, from Durham Road, Newport, each admitted one count of benefit fraud.

How much? Their total overpayment in income support was just over £25,000.

Prosecution case: The couple failed to tell the authorities they had inherited nearly £150,000 between them.

Mitigation: Kevin Daniels said he thought the savings threshold was lower than it was and he had given some money to his children.

They repaid the amount in full, so there was no loss to the taxpayer.

The sentence: 24 weeks, suspended for 18 months, plus 20 hours of a rehabilitation activity and 180 hours of unpaid work each.

Grandmother illegally claimed £40,000 and spent it on luxury holidays

Benefits cheat Geraldine Thomas was spared an immediate jail term
Geraldine Thomas

The defendant: Geraldine Thomas, 55, from Heolddu Grove in Bargoed, admitted three counts of benefit fraud.

How much? She illegally claimed £41,350 in employment and support allowance, housing benefit and council tax reduction.

Prosecution case: Thomas told the authorities she was living alone, but her partner was actually living with her and contributing to the household income.

She used money to fund a number of luxury holidays to destinations such as Egypt for them both.

Mitigation: The court heard she was "thoroughly ashamed" of her offending.

The sentence: Thomas was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years.

Recorder Patrick Harrington QC said: "Benefit fraud is rife and costs honest hardworking people a lot of money."

During a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing, it was found she had £6,500 available and was ordered to pay that amount within three months.

Couple falsely claimed £50,000 by posing as landlord and tenant

Leon Harris, left, and partner Lace Perrett were given suspended prison sentences for benefit fraud
Leon Harris and Lace Perrett

The defendants: Leon Harris, 58, from Woodlands Road in Barry, admitted one count of benefit fraud. Lace Perrett, 56, from the same address, admitted three counts of benefit fraud.

How much? In total the pair received in £47,111 between August 2013 and November 2017 in benefits they were not entitled to.

Prosecution case: They both signed a form to say Harris was the landlord and Perrett was the tenant. The couple went on three holidays together while they were claiming the cash.

Mitigation: The court heard the pair were repaying the overpayment in monthly instalments.

The sentence: The couple were both handed 12-month prison sentences suspended for 20 months.

Perrett was also ordered to undertake 20 sessions of rehabilitation activities and Harris was ordered to undertake 150 hours of unpaid work.

Former PCSO claimed £12,000 in disability benefits while working as carer

Suzanne Wibley walking out of court
Suzanne Wibley

The defendant: Suzanne Wibley, 40, from Fairfield Road in Penarth, admitted one count of benefit fraud. 

How much? The defendant fraudulently claimed £12,829.53 in personal independence payment between July, 2015 and October, 2017.

Prosecution case: The former PCSO fraudulently claimed disability benefits by stating she struggled to walk while she was working as a professional carer.

Care assistant Suzanne Wibley posted photographs on Facebook of herself horse riding and ice skating after stating on a claim form she needed help to wash, cook and dress herself.

Mitigation: The mum-of-two had no previous convictions and her claim was not fraudulent from the start.

The sentence: Wibley was given a 12-month community order requiring her to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and 25 days of a rehabilitation activity. She must pay £85 in costs and an £85 victim surcharge. She had paid back £150 and agreed to pay back the rest at £30 a month.

Postcode Lottery winner continued to claim £20,000 after windfall

Burrows celebrating his £166,000 Postcode Lottery win
Eric Burrows

The defendant: Eric Burrows, 62, from Oak Drive in Swansea, admitted five counts of benefit fraud.

How much? He continued to claim housing benefit and employment and support Allowance amounting to £20,157.65.

Prosecution case: The defendant scooped £166,000 on the Postcode Lottery, but he failed to notify the authorities of his good fortune and continued to claim benefits.

Mitigation: When Burrows was interviewed by investigators, he accepted he had won the Lottery, but said he did not declare it because he regarded the cash as "family money" and not his own.

The sentence: He was jailed for 24 weeks. Judge Keith Thomas described the offending as a "deliberate and determined fraud" which took funds from an already stretched public purse.

Benefit cheat claimed £67,000 while taking holidays in the Canary Islands

A holiday snap from one of the numerous trips Helen Williams took to the Canary Islands
Helen Williams

The defendant: Helen Williams, 52, from Llangyfelach Road in Swansea, admitted three counts of failing to notify a change of circumstances and one count of fraud.

How much? She claimed £66,701.66 in income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit to which she was not entitled.

Prosecution case: The defendant was taking several holidays a year to the Canaries while claiming tens of thousands of pounds in benefits she was not entitled to.

For almost six years Williams claimed benefits as a single woman - despite being married, living with her husband, having a joint bank account and going on exotic holidays with her husband.

Mitigation: The court heard the defendant, who was a carer for her parents, was "thoroughly ashamed of herself".

The sentence: She was given a nine-month jail term, suspended for two years.

She is repaying the money at £103 per month, a rate which means it will be more than 50 years before all the cash is recouped.

Benefits cheat mum claimed almost £18,000 in fraudulent payments

Kirsty Davies illegally claimed £17,923.13 through income support and housing benefit between February 2016 and March 2018
Kirsty Davies

The defendant: Kirsty Davies, 29, from Laugharne Court, Barry, pleaded guilty to two counts of benefit fraud.

How much? She claimed £17,923.13 through income support and housing benefit between February, 2016 and March, 2018.

Prosecution case: The mum-of-three failed to tell the authorities she was living with her partner.

Mitigation: The court heard Davies didn’t tell the authorities her partner had moved in because their relationship was “casual” to begin with and he would often move between her house and living with his relatives.

The sentence: Davies was given a 20-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 15 days of unpaid work.

District Judge Bodfan Jenkins said: “People like you who take from the public and those who need it have no excuse. It’s simply greed.”

Welder claimed £60,000 in disability benefits while visiting friends in Tenerife

Brett Jones has only paid back £300
Brett Jones

The defendant: Brett Jones, 45, from Wiston Path in Cwmbran , admitted three counts of benefit fraud.

How much? The total overpayment was £62,060.70 over a three-year period in personal independence payment, employment and support allowance and housing benefit.

Prosecution case: Self-employed welder Jones claimed he needed help to wash, dress and eat, then travelled to Tenerife to visit friends.

Mitigation: The claim was not fraudulent from the start. He told investigators: “When I made the claims I was in a bad way.”

His counsel said he was working and a re-payment plan was put in place last year. He had paid back £330.40 at the time of sentence.

The sentence: Jones was given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. He was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and pay £400 in costs.

Recorder Timothy Brennan QC said: “You continued through greed to claim money to which you were not entitled. You spent it on other things like trips to see your friends in Tenerife.”

Mum-of-three swindled £20,000 – while working in council benefits department

Mum-of-three Edyta Ratecka was spared an immediate jail term
Edyta Ratecka

The defendant: Edyta Ratecka, 41, from Heol Powis in Birchgrove , Cardiff, pleaded guilty to being involved in fraudulent activity, making a false representation to obtain benefits and dishonesty failing to notify a change in circumstances.

How much?: The offending took place between 2013 and 2016 with the total benefit overpayment coming in at £20,492.

Prosecution case: The defendant was employed in the benefits department of Cardiff Council and falsely claimed by failing to tell authorities she was living with her partner.

She was living with her partner while claiming housing benefit and working tax credit on the basis she was living alone as a single mum.

Mitigation: When asked why she had continued to claim benefits illegally, Ratecka said she “knew it was wrong” but felt she had no option as her partner was not providing for her.

The sentence: Ratecka was sentenced to 24 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 18 months. She was ordered to carry out 100 hours unpaid work, complete a six-day rehabilitation activity requirement and to pay £300.

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said: “You were working for a benefit section of Cardiff Council so you were aware of what you were doing."