‘Best mummy ever’ swindled thousands in fake benefits for kids taken into care

A SELF-styled "best mummy ever!" claimed £27,000 in state handouts despite having had her kids taken from her and adopted by other families.

Katrina Jones, 22, lost the two youngsters because she was ‘drowning’ under childcare responsibilities due to her young age.

Benefits cheat Katrina JonesFacebook

Mothers' pride? Benefits cheat and 'best mum ever' Katrina Jones

But she pocketed child tax credits, plus housing and council tax benefits and income support over a four year period after pretending the children were still living at home. 

She signed documents saying there had been no change in her circumstances and when she made a new benefits application, she declared she looked after the youngsters. 

In fact Jones had only ever had supervised contact with her children.

But she was claiming child tax credits from when the first child was born. When investigators caught up with Jones it emerged had netted £26,982.33 from the public purse - starting when she was 17.

At Burnley Crown Court, Lancs, Jones, now 22, who lives in the town and gave herself the "Best Mummy Ever!" tag on Facebook, admitted benefit fraud.

She was given a two year community order with supervision and a place on the Lancashire Women's Specified Activity Requirement. 

I'm going to give you a chance. Do not waste it.

Recorder Tania Griffiths QC

She has a third child but is looking after the youngster with social services support. 

The authorities will be issuing proceedings for an interim care order whilst DWP officials take civil action to recover the missing money. 

Roger Brown, prosecuting for the Department for Work and Pensions, said: "What she said in her interview was that she believed she was entitled to benefits because she believed she had joint control. That clearly was not the case because the only contact she had with the child was supervised contact.

Katrina Jones Facebook pageFacebook

Bogus claim: Katrina Jones' questionable Facebook post claiming 'best mummy ever' status

“The renewal of benefits arose because on the application form she declared she had care of her two children, but by that time, they were being completely cared for by the local authority." 

Mr Brown told the court : " Having been interviewed under caution on December 12, 2013, she did say she understood the rules for claiming benefits. She had read the declaration on each form. She admitted she should have notified the Department when her children had been taken into care and admitted she had been dishonest by not reporting it. " 

"Also during the course of the interview, in particular she described the birth of her second child and going in a mother and baby unit, which was right, and that her elder child had gone into temporary foster care and she then returned home with both children, but clearly, that's completely false.”

Sentencing Judge Recorder Tania Griffiths, QC, said: "You have deprived other people who are also struggling financially, of a very substantial sum of money. That's therefore a very mean offence and it's very anti- social. You need to turn your life around and I'm going to try and make that happen. I'm going to give you a chance. Do not waste it." 

At home after the case Jones declined to comment saying: "It's personal. Obviously I'm sorry and it went to court. I'd rather not talk about what I have done." 

Katrina Jones benefits cheatFacebook

Selfie-centred: Cheat Katrina Jones told she ripped-off other people in need
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