Overview

• At Bolton Crown Court on August 27, 2025, Susan Pearson admitted two counts of dishonestly failing to disclose information and was spared an immediate custodial sentence by Judge Nicholas Clarke KC.
• The court found she had received £40,334.21 in Universal Credit over five years and a further £536.22 in council tax reduction to which she was not entitled.
• DWP data-matching and a June 2023 request to its Operational Intelligence Unit identified undeclared Nationwide and Co‑Funds accounts with capital above the £16,000 threshold, including balances up to about £40,616 and a £13,000 withdrawal in one month.
• The judge ordered repayment from her savings after evidence, including social media posts of frequent overseas holidays, undermined her claims of having no means.
• Her defence cited caring responsibilities for her 83-year-old mother and a £55-a-week carer’s allowance, noting she tried to repay but the DWP is instead recouping the money through small deductions.