not to be overjoyed that a mother of four is being sent to jail for massive benefit fraud?

[bigmouthstrikesagain]

story here

I just wonder what will happen to the children in this case. The crime Amanda Webber committed is serious and she should be punished but taking the mother away from her 8 children for up to 4 years will have a damaging effect on these children. The sentence should be in the community and involve her paying back society with work, making a contribution - not being housed in a prison.

This is not to undermine the seriousness of the offence I just can't see the 'benefit' to society of locking this person up - she is not dangerous - she does need to accept what she has done is so very wrong and make amends this can be done in a community sentence surely. The children should not be punished if it can be avoided.

Just my thoughts on hearing the news.

[shockers]

So... Mums of Britain, do what you will... it will be more expensive to treat you like any other CRIMINAL, so therefore not worth the bother... go for it!

ariane5, I know exactly what you mean. The forms, on top of everything else, for me became a trigger for depression, so I decided not to claim DLA for my DD. Apparently, that now means she has limited support for transition from her (special) school to college.

I've let her down by not claiming benefit, even though she needs constant supervision at age 15.

It must be a lot easier to fill in those forms when its a work of fantasy, then when its your child's actual life.

[Borntobeamum]

She wasn't thinking about her children and the consequences while stealing all that money was she?

[Donki]

MrsDV expecting rational debate?
You'll be demanding an evidence based sentencing policy next.
How unreasonable!

[ariane5]

They are horrible to fill in and I am actually amazed that somebody could cheat the system this way-I had to send so many letters/reports and then additional more in depth ones were also requested from dcs consultants.

Those poor children though, being used like that. I do think she deserves jail but I hope they at least have family they can live with rather than all being split up.

[Pixel]

And Roary1 the authorities are going for a 'proceeds of crime' order to recover the money, which will most likely mean her house will be sold

I read in the paper that the £10,000 per month included £2000 housing benefit so does that mean she doesn't own the house? Or are there circumstances where HB will pay someone's mortgage or something like that? I wouldn't have thought so but if she had lots of disabled children apparently and no available housing stock big enough for them then perhaps they would? Especially as she'd split from her husband and the children needed housing. (genuine question, I haven't a clue if they'd do that).

Anyway, I agree with all the people that are saying she is just making things harder for genuine claimants and perpetuating the myth that DLA fraud is rife. Also she should think herself lucky to have healthy children, not use them in such a despicable way.

I wonder why the husband wasn't implicated? Surely he wondered where the money was coming from, but they haven't even been able to name him.

[CloudsAndTrees]

Sentences aren't just about the criminal, their family and how much it costs.

If this thread is representative of society, and I realise it might not be, but if it is, then the overwhelming response is that society wants crimes against it to be dealt with harshly.

If as a society we want benefit fraud to be severely punished, then it should be, regardless of cost and regardless of whether it messes up the criminals life or not. They made their choice when they committed the offence.

[shockers]

Was the shouting and exclamation marks comment directed at me MrsD?

I'm allowed an opinion, am I not? In my opinion (and that of the law), she is a criminal, because she committed a crime and she did it with forethought and planning.

People like her have made claiming DLA much more difficult for people like us.

[shockers]

MrsD, I am also so sorry that you had to do that.

[ThePathanKhansAmnesiac]

OP Yanbu.

Can,t see how it serves the tax payer to keep this woman in the prison system and her children, perhaps, in care.

[cumfy]

How was she able to do this though ?

Surely GPs/consultants/school needed to sign-off these disabilities ?

[minouminou]

She could fill those forms in because she knew the details weren't real. I guess she just didn't think too much about it, beyond what material gain she'd get.

[cumfy]

Bet the house is in his name.

[salsmum]

So she was living in a 7 bedroomed house and said that her kids had disabilities so she could fraudulently claim for them????? As a mother of a 24 year old with genuine severe disabilities what she did was wicked and took the money off people who really need it. I think she bloody well should be jailed [angry.

[madhousequeen]

how did she claim DLA?

My Dc gets it but we had to supply tons of evidence (reports from Paed, Salt, Ot, school, Ep) and the DWP wrote to some of them on top to get more information. and we still had to appeal.

really gobsmacked that somebody managed to claim it without any evidence.

[theodorakisses]

If she is sent to prison so should any professionals who didn't check on her

[JustAnotherSod]

The children have a father who will care for them in her absence, he took legal action to ensure their names are publicised in connection with the case, so no cost of foster care for 5 needs to be considered.

[fromparistoberlin]

i tend to agree

yes a crime is a crime

however the cost to society and to her children will be HUGE

I do think that IF a criminal is a mother with sole care of children, this should be taken into account

i hate reading about shoplifting mothers and prostitiutes in jail, there should be some alternative

its not about being soft on women, its about taking their children into account

[JakeBullet]

I m wondering how she claimed DLA as well, DS gets it (autistic) and the form and the required evidence is massive. It's so bad that I have help to complete it (and I am a confident and educated person), am amazed that she was able to claim it if her children were supposedly fine.

[JakeBullet]

...I have two massive folders filled with correspondence from paediatricians, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, Statement of SEN etc etc. I have to include some of all the correspondence to support the DLA claim. I have no idea how she managed this unless she generated fraudulent letters. I also have to give the name of people they can talk to....the paediatrician, DS's 1-1 at school etc.

Just gobsmacked how anyone can make a fraudulent claim.

[saintlyjimjams]

I knew her very vaguely years ago. I think some of the children may be old enough to care for their siblings by now, I'm not entirely sure but counting on my fingers I think so.

God knows how she got away with it. Ds1 was awarded DLA for life, but as well as us providing reports the people in DLA contacts professionals who know him.

[fromparistoberlin]

yes, everyone on here says its a nightmare to get benefits (and I beleive them) so how the fuck do fraudsters do it

[saintlyjimjams]

She portrays herself as an autism mum. That's how I knew her. And she says on her twitter page that she's an autism expert.

I wonder whether the kids have been told they are autistic when they aren't? If so she deserves a few years for that.

[sashh]

We seem to punish greed and dishonesty more harshly than violent crime and I don't understand why.

This was not a single crime, she has been found guilty of 23 single crimes.