Overview

• Susan Pearson, 58, pleaded guilty at Bolton Crown Court to two counts of dishonestly failing to disclose information after five years of wrongful claims.
• Prosecutors said a June 2023 DWP Operational Intelligence Unit check found two Nationwide accounts peaking at £40,616.37 and a Co‑Funds investment, including a £13,000 withdrawal.
• She was ordered by Judge Nicholas Clarke KC to repay £40,334.21 in Universal Credit overpayments plus a £536.22 council tax reduction and avoided immediate custody.
• Her lawyer said she offered a lump-sum repayment that the DWP declined, with recovery now taken through small deductions from her £55-a-week carer’s allowance.
• Coverage highlighted Facebook posts of frequent trips to Tunisia, Cyprus, the Canary Islands and a Mediterranean cruise, which friends said earned her the nickname “Miss Holiday.”