Legal News
Psychic Charged With Benefit Fraud (7 November 2011)
Date: 07/11/2011
A woman from Neath fraudulently claimed £33,000 worth of benefits while in employment as a sex chat line operator and tarot reader, a court has heard. Fifty-year-old Dawn Pearson advertised her services through Psychic TV and charged customers £1.53 per minute for their calls. The woman had previously claimed that she was too sick to work. A Swansea Crown Court judge handed Miss Pearson a 12-week suspended jail sentence and ordered her to perform 180 hours’ worth of unpaid community work.
Miss Pearson admitted her guilt to four benefits fraud charges at Neath magistrates' court earlier this year. The court was informed that Miss Pearson had unlawfully claimed £33,206.82 in welfare benefits over the course of 16 months. Nuhu Gobir, prosecuting, claimed that the Department of Work and Pensions had begun an investigation into Miss Pearson's background following receiving a tipoff. They concluded that Miss Pearson’s initial benefit claims to be legitimate. However, Miss Pearson was found to have been in employment between 2005 and 2009. On her arrest in October 2009, Miss Pearson denied being in employment and claimed that she was still plagued by anxiety issues and panic attacks. Miss Pearson eventually admitted to benefit fraud, claiming that she had experienced financial difficulties. Miss Pearson’s barrister, Frank Phillips, stated that she had successfully repaid £1,000 and intended to repay the remainder of the money.
Duncan Lewis’ welfare benefits solicitors are able to explain to their clients the types of benefits they should be entitled to receive. Upon instruction from their clients, the team are able to assess eligibility for benefits.