There is absolutely nothing from another location out of the common about Angela Lloyd and Lee Phillips' semi-detached house on a quiet cul-de-sac in Merseyside.
And to the typical eye, Lloyd appears like a regular middle-aged mum who works relentlessly to care for her sick other half.
So it was to the sheer shock of neighbours when authorities descended on their driveway to rob the couple's St Helens home.
Hiding behind the family's net drapes was in reality a decade-long web of lies which saw Lloyd and Phillips pocket ₤ 270k in taxpayer money.
Lloyd, 58, cried 'Oh my god' as she was imprisoned this week over a string of untruths consisting of utilizing a dead woman's identity, making up 'bogus' medical conditions for her son, and developing pseudonyms to work while claiming carers allowance.
Husband Phillips, 54, was also imprisoned after the pair's massive benefits scams was lastly exposed.
While the couple handled to siphon off their ill-gotten gains for many years - neighbours have actually revealed to MailOnline the obvious hints that the couple were running a scam.
Angela Lloyd defrauded the taxpayer of ₤ 170k over a period of 11-and-a-half years. Detectives discovered a web of lies consisting of the creation of pseudonyms to declare benefits
The scammer next door: The assuming semi-detached home Lloyd had moved into with Phillips. Phillips had stopped working to reveal this to the council when she relocated in 2018
Phillips imagined in a Help for Heroes hoodie during a street party held for the late Queen's Diamond Jubilee. He is stated to have played a DJ set at the event
Initially, neighbours on Birch Gardens were fretted for the couple after Phillips was seen looking really frail as he would 'hobble' on his strolling stick to fulfill his carers.
But they were then left puzzled when he was at other times found cleaning his BMW, driving, and even playing a DJ set for their street party for the late Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
Locals likewise told of how there was 'constantly something dodgy' about Lloyd, which she would never ever look people 'in the eye', however would boast about 'secret ₤ 60k caravan' they would leave to on the weekends.
Lloyd was sentenced to 2 years after Liverpool Crown Court discovered she fraudulently stole nearly ₤ 170,000 in benefits over a years, and likewise assisted Phillips incorrectly claim advantages worth ₤ 100,000, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.
When neighbours saw them packing up among their two cars previously this week, they thought they were going off to remain at their secret caravan, just to find they were going to jail.
One neighbour informed of the couple: 'I thought they were dodgy as he made a genuine show of not having the ability to stroll whenever his carers were here.
'He was shuffling along and holding onto his cars and trucks in the driveway before he took a long period of time to get to his carer's cars and truck on his strolling stick.
'But the next thing I saw him cleaning his BMW in the driveway - he seemed to be walking fine then.
'And he did a DJ set for the Queen's Jubilee celebration back in 2022. He had all the speakers out and whatever.
'But after the cops raid, they became more reserved and didn't say a lot to individuals.
'There was always something dodgy about her - she wouldn't look people in the eye and extolled going to her ₤ 60,000 caravan but would never ever state where it was.
'They would take her teenage boy and disappear on a Thursday night and not come home till Sunday.'
Phillips had actually fraudulently declared ₤ 100k in PIP, housing advantages, work assistance allowance and council tax decreases that he was not eligible for. Neighbours informed of how he would look 'frail' and 'hobble on a strolling stick' in the existence of carers, but at other times was seen 'walking great'
Following the police raid on the quiet rural street, neighbours were left with questions regarding why the couple had been apprehended - and some allege Lloyd had later informed them it was down to dog breeding.
But these questions were finally put to rest on Tuesday when the court heard how Lloyd had actually declared an overall of ₤ 169,394.15 which she was not certified for in housing advantages, carers allowance and personal self-reliance payments over the course of 11-and-a-half years.
With the help of Lloyd, Phillips was likewise found to have actually illegally declared ₤ 100,980.71 through PIP, housing benefits, employment support allowance and council tax decreases considering that 2018.
Olivia Beesley, prosecuting, laid out how the mother's elaborate rip-off began when she wrongly started claiming housing advantages for a caravan on Riverside Walk in Southport - which was discovered to be a 'fictitious address'.
She even made a fake tenancy contract for the 'totally fictitious caravan', ultimately taking ₤ 71,597.16 from Lancashire Borough Council in relation to the non-existent residence.
Then in 2018, she began making fraudulent claims that her spouse needed 'several everyday carers to address his requirements'. She went as far as utilizing Phillips' sister Zoe's birth certificate to present as his sibling and claim that she was his primary carer.
She likewise lied that she was unable to work due to being a full-time carer, however was discovered to have been working under a false identity Wendy Lloyd at care company Hand in Hand Homecare, and under another pseudonym Angela Valentine at a Tesco.
In 2022, she began developing 'false medical conditions' for her boy, declaring she had actually a carer called Joyce Bibby - a dead female's identity. Nearly ₤ 10k in false disability living allowance overpayments were declared in relation to this.
She again used the deceased woman's name as being her social employee to claim ₤ 13,526.70 of PIP, specifying that she needed carers due to 'health conditions'.
Neighbours told of how Lloyd would boast about a '₤ 60k caravan' in a secret location that she never ever exposed, and would say they were going to stay at the caravan from Thursday to Sunday
One neighbour said they saw the couple loading up on of their vehicles previously this week and presumed they were going off to their 'caravan', only to later on discover out they were off to prison
When MailOnline went to Phillips' address in Birch Gardens which he showed Lloyd, neighbours exposed how the couple and her boy would allegedly go off to a caravan on the weekends.
It is not known whether this was the very same 'fictitious caravan' which took place to have never ever existed, or an undoubtedly a different, genuine caravan.
Leni Newton, 63, stated: 'She told people that the authorities raid was because someone had told on her for reproducing border collie pups without a licence.
'I'm surprised they've been imprisoned. I believed they were all above board.
'I only saw them a few days ago loading up luggage - I believed they were simply going to their caravan.'
She added: 'I understand they met as she was his carer. He was wed however Angela relocated. I thought she had resided in Southport.
'I did see his ex-wife parked up in the street viewing his house when they divided.
'She was undoubtedly spying on them.'
Her partner David Manchester, 70, said: 'It's a huge surprise they appeared to be living a double life.
'There were a lot of cops came here.
'He was at the street party for the Queen however other times he did seem extremely frail.'
Hand in Hand homecare agency verified to MailOnline that Lloyd had authentic recommendations, DBS checks and training certificates in the name of Wendy Lloyd.
A spokesperson said: 'We sacked her instantly when we discovered the reality.
'All her DBS and recommendations took a look at. The authorities stated we had actually done nothing incorrect.'
The court heard how Phillips also duped money from the general public purse by failing to disclose the reality that Lloyd had actually moved into his home in 2018 - permitting him to continue declaring more than ₤ 13k in housing benefits and ₤ 2.2 k in council tax reductions.
He is likewise said to have 'exaggerated' his medical conditions and need for care, stating that he was not able to do anything for himself.
He stated himself 'unsuited for work' and failed to discuss his spouse's wage - unlawfully stealing ₤ 51k in employment support allowance.
However, Phillips declared that Lloyd had completed the type and had simply 'asked him to sign it'.
Phillips' counsel Jim Smith argued he has a 'complex current history' of mental health and specials needs consisting of neurological condition, anxiety and anxiety.
He was likewise stated to have actually a pacemaker fitted and appeared in court in a wheelchair.
While Phillips had no previous convictions relating to comparable matters, nevertheless Lloyd's rap sheet reveals previous entries for theft and dishonesty offenses dating as far back as the 1980s - though her last appearance remained in 2012.
Lloyd was jailed for two years after confessing seven counts of scams by false representation, and Phillips was also seen cleaning back tears as he was jailed for 20 months for fraud by incorrect representation and 3 counts of dishonestly failing to disclose information to make a gain.
Sentencing, Judge Simon Medland KC stated: 'Over an 11-year duration, or more than that, you, Angela Lloyd, handled to defraud the general public of simply short of ₤ 170,000 and you, Lee Phillips, of about ₤ 100,000. In your case, Mr Phillips, over a five-year duration, you had about ₤ 20,000 per year which you defrauded from the public.
'For those who seek to defraud the public of scarce and important benefits which need to be directed to those who require them, not those who just wish to have them for reasons of personal greed, that is a severe offense dedicated by each of you over a long period of time.'
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How Ordinary Housewife but Was Running Secret ₤ 270k Benefits Scam
Chau Benedict edited this page 2025-06-15 15:25:27 +08:00