0:00:02 > 0:00:05Here in the UK we're lucky to have things like transport networks,
0:00:05 > 0:00:06legal aid, and free health care.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08We are very lucky to have an NHS system
0:00:08 > 0:00:10because a lot of other countries have to pay for it.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Benefits should go to people who are in need.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17These services are mostly paid for by us, the taxpayer,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20and on the whole, we don't mind.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24But what happens when someone tries to steal from the system?
0:00:24 > 0:00:26If they've stolen it, they know they've taken it.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30They know they're running a risk, so if they get caught it's a fair cop.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34Well, it's outrageous, disgusting, and needs to be dealt with.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37With the economy as tough as it is, it's more important than ever
0:00:37 > 0:00:41that those who nick from the system don't get away with it,
0:00:41 > 0:00:44and those who need help get it.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47This is the world of Saints and Scroungers.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Coming up on today's show...
0:00:53 > 0:00:55the scroungers out to beat the system.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59A woman who fraudulently claimed Widowed Mother's Allowance
0:00:59 > 0:01:03by trying to pass off her live-in partner as a lodger.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07I think it would be stretching the bounds of credibility
0:01:07 > 0:01:10to assume a commercial lodging arrangement
0:01:10 > 0:01:14where the lodger hasn't paid anything for 14 years.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16And those in need of support.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19We meet the young man whose life was ruined by bullies
0:01:19 > 0:01:23till he was given a helping hand by no-one less than Dame Kelly Holmes.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27You could see straight away that he had lack of confidence
0:01:27 > 0:01:30in his own, you know, self-worth, almost.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38Being a widowed mother is a tragic situation to find yourself in.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41And as if losing your partner isn't enough to deal with,
0:01:41 > 0:01:45you've still got the children to look after, and bills to pay.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50But you're not alone. There is Government support out there for widows,
0:01:50 > 0:01:56and surely no-one busy grieving is also thinking about thieving...
0:01:56 > 0:02:00Meet Dawn-Marie Oughton. This 48-year-old from Yorkshire
0:02:00 > 0:02:04was left a single mother of two when her husband died in 1996.
0:02:04 > 0:02:11So why, some 17 years later, did she find herself behind prison bars?
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Oughton was entitled to Child Benefit for her two young children,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17and topped up her income with incapacity benefit,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20which she was entitled to because of a shoulder injury.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24But after she lost her husband the Department for Work and Pensions
0:02:24 > 0:02:27advised her to claim Widowed Mother's Allowance instead.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31It gave Oughton more income to help her through the tough times.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Widowed Mother's Allowance is paid to widows
0:02:34 > 0:02:36with children of the marriage,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39providing they're in receipt of Child Benefit
0:02:39 > 0:02:42and the late husband satisfied the National Insurance contributions.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Because the Widowed Mother's Allowance is paid at a higher rate,
0:02:46 > 0:02:48and is non-taxable
0:02:48 > 0:02:51it would be more beneficial for her to receive the Widowed Mother's Allowance.
0:02:51 > 0:02:57Nothing wrong with that. Oughton claimed the benefit that gave her more income to care for her children.
0:02:57 > 0:03:02Who wouldn't, and presumably she'd be entitled to claim the allowance
0:03:02 > 0:03:04for many years to come.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08She would have received an information leaflet at the time of the claim,
0:03:08 > 0:03:13and the main issue in regard the change in circumstances
0:03:13 > 0:03:18would be if she started to live together as husband and wife with a man.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22OK, so as long as Oughton was living alone with her children
0:03:22 > 0:03:24there'd be no issue.
0:03:24 > 0:03:29So why, in 2010, were there not one, but five anonymous phone calls
0:03:29 > 0:03:33to the Benefit Fraud Hotline making allegations about her?
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Hull's Department for Work and Pensions were on the case,
0:03:36 > 0:03:38and Unit Fraud investigator Arthur Hansford
0:03:38 > 0:03:40explains what happened next.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Each allegation...
0:03:43 > 0:03:47..suggested that Mrs Oughton was living with a partner,
0:03:47 > 0:03:51which obviously, as she was in receipt of Widowed Mother's Allowance
0:03:51 > 0:03:54would mean that she'd be no longer entitled to that benefit.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56IF the allegation was true.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58An allegation is purely just an allegation.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01We do receive some malicious allegations
0:04:01 > 0:04:05where people obviously have an axe to grind against someone.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08So the investigators are trained to try and establish
0:04:08 > 0:04:13what the full facts of the circumstances of the claimant is.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16And the investigator's first job was to do the obvious thing -
0:04:16 > 0:04:18visit Oughton's home to see who was living there.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24On the 31st of August, we paid a visit to Oughton's home,
0:04:24 > 0:04:26really expecting her not to be present.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29However, after we knocked on the door
0:04:29 > 0:04:31the alleged partner answered the door,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33and invited us into the house.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Mrs Oughton was actually in the house
0:04:36 > 0:04:38doing some washing.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42So we indentified that there may be some truth in the allegation.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45We did need to investigate further, so we invited
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Mrs Oughton to attend the office on the 14th of September
0:04:48 > 0:04:50for an interview under caution.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52What we did perceive whilst we were in the house
0:04:52 > 0:04:56was that the atmosphere didn't appear to be particularly amenable.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59There seemed to be some sort of frosty atmosphere in the house,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02but obviously we couldn't comment on that, and we then left
0:05:02 > 0:05:04to wait until the interview under caution.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07On the allotted day, Dawn Oughton did the right thing,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10and turned up as expected for interview.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12During the interview, she admitted knowing
0:05:12 > 0:05:15that she must report any change in her circumstances
0:05:15 > 0:05:18because she was in receipt of Widowed Mother's Allowance.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22particularly if she lived together as husband and wife with a man.
0:05:22 > 0:05:28However, she insisted that the alleged partner was purely a lodger,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31although she did admit that he paid no set amount,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34he didn't pay much at all.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37She denied supporting him, and also denied
0:05:37 > 0:05:40that they were living together as husband and wife.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44She admitted during the interview that they did socialise together.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47They did play badminton together, they went out for meals.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52They were walking down the street... She did say that at times they did walk arm in arm.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56But again said that he was a lodger,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59and they were not living together as husband and wife.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Throughout the interview she was quite calm, and cool and collected.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08So perhaps the allegations against her WERE wrong.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Oughton was freely admitting
0:06:10 > 0:06:12that the man lived at her house, so the only discrepancy
0:06:12 > 0:06:16was over any money changing hands.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18But if the allegations were true,
0:06:18 > 0:06:22then she had potentially been claiming Widowed Mother's Allowance for up to 14 years
0:06:22 > 0:06:24totalling a rather handsome...
0:06:26 > 0:06:30The investigators had to be sure they were getting to the truth.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34When looking at potential overpayments in the tens of thousands
0:06:34 > 0:06:37checking suspects' finances can be crucial.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41Jackie Raja is head of the DWP's Financial Investigation Unit.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45The earlier we get involved in the case the better.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49Once the criminal investigator realises that we might be dealing with somebody who's got property
0:06:49 > 0:06:51then they'll ask the FIU to get involved,
0:06:51 > 0:06:53because what we will do is we'll work in parallel.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57We'll start to do some intelligence gathering about somebody's finances.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01If there's a lot of money involved, then we can restrain that money
0:07:01 > 0:07:04to stop it being squirreled away, or sent abroad
0:07:04 > 0:07:07where people think we can't get hold of it.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11The Hull investigators were now looking at both the money and lifestyle
0:07:11 > 0:07:13of Oughton and her alleged partner,
0:07:13 > 0:07:15and they started weighing up the evidence.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19I think it would be stretching the bounds of credibility
0:07:19 > 0:07:22to assume a commercial lodging arrangement
0:07:22 > 0:07:25where the lodger hasn't paid anything for 14 years.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27You know, perhaps Arthur has a point...
0:07:27 > 0:07:31By then the plot was thickening quite considerably.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34The day after the interview under caution,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Mrs Oughton contacted the investigator
0:07:36 > 0:07:40and said she was going to go out for a meal
0:07:40 > 0:07:45with the alleged partner, and wanted the investigator to know that.
0:07:45 > 0:07:50And look, would it make any difference, and was she allowed to go out for the meal?
0:07:50 > 0:07:56Oughton called up the DWP asking what she can and can't do with her lodger,
0:07:56 > 0:07:58and wrote them a letter making it very clear
0:07:58 > 0:08:02that is all he was - a long-term lodger.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04Maybe it was a slap-up meal to say thanks
0:08:04 > 0:08:07for letting him stay rent-free for the last 14 years.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Whatever the investigators thought was going on,
0:08:10 > 0:08:14they were about to be led in a completely new direction.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18They'd heard that Oughton had taken to visiting a male friend in America,
0:08:18 > 0:08:20and wanted to see her passport
0:08:20 > 0:08:23to see how long she was spending outside the UK
0:08:23 > 0:08:25because it might affect her benefit claim.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27And would you believe it -
0:08:27 > 0:08:29as soon as this new male friend arrived on the scene
0:08:29 > 0:08:34Oughton's alleged partner was very keen to talk to the investigators.
0:08:34 > 0:08:35It was the 5th of October
0:08:35 > 0:08:40that the alleged partner actually contacted the Department,
0:08:40 > 0:08:44contacted the investigator, and wanted to know...
0:08:45 > 0:08:48..if he was going to be interviewed, and actually asked...
0:08:48 > 0:08:52he requested for himself to be interviewed under caution.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54So...
0:08:54 > 0:08:55again, we looked at our diaries,
0:08:55 > 0:08:58and we arranged an interview under caution for the 3rd of November.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02So the alleged partner actually WANTED to be interviewed.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Interesting.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08We do, in normal course of events, interview alleged partners,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10and see what their version of events are,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14but for an alleged partner actually to come out and request an interview
0:09:14 > 0:09:17is unusual.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19We'll find out later what he had to say
0:09:19 > 0:09:21when he met with the investigators.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Time now to turn our back on those money-pinching scroungers
0:09:30 > 0:09:33who do all they can to cheat us out of our hard-earned wages,
0:09:33 > 0:09:36and give our full attention to the saints -
0:09:36 > 0:09:39members of society who dedicate their lives to helping those
0:09:39 > 0:09:42in desperate need of help, but who don't know how to ask for it.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51There's a commonly-held opinion that a bit of bullying at school
0:09:51 > 0:09:53does no harm at all.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56It is in fact character-building.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Well, that's nonsense, because the negative effects of bullying
0:10:00 > 0:10:02can last well past your school days,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06and can put a serious dent in your prospects.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13There's no need to spell that out for 25-year-old Andy Lunnon from Reading
0:10:13 > 0:10:16who endured years of name calling and isolation at school,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19partly due to a condition which meant he had a squint in one eye.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22I looked different from the normal.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24It meant that I had to wear corrective glasses,
0:10:24 > 0:10:26where sadly the glass was quite thick,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29so you can imagine, I have an eye condition,
0:10:29 > 0:10:31and I'm wearing these so-called corrective glasses,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34but the glasses drew more attention to me.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37I was sad that, you know,
0:10:37 > 0:10:41my life had got to the stage where I had nothing to aim for.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45The constant bullying meant that Andy found it hard to concentrate in lessons,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48and he ended up leaving without any qualifications
0:10:48 > 0:10:50or plans for his future.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52It wasn't surprising, then, that he quickly became
0:10:52 > 0:10:55one of the country's one million young people
0:10:55 > 0:10:58who are unemployed, and not studying or training.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01I was just lost. I think that's the best way I could describe it.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Andy was living at home with his mum.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08For two years he had no option but to claim Jobseeker's Allowance.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11During that time he began to comfort eat,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14and isolate himself by hiding away in his bedroom
0:11:14 > 0:11:16playing computer games.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Andy's now 25. His school years took their toll,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23and I've come to find out what lasting effects the bullying has had on him.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28- School was there to be endured rather than enjoyed.- Yeah.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30But then, at the end of school
0:11:30 > 0:11:34you've got your opportunity to be yourself, and to get out there,
0:11:34 > 0:11:36and prove who you really were.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41Having seen some of the other people from my school move on into either college or a working career
0:11:41 > 0:11:45I found that kind of my lack of confidence turned to depression,
0:11:45 > 0:11:49but I was also quite embarrassed because I'd fallen behind everybody,
0:11:49 > 0:11:51and actually, that almost sent me over the edge.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53So, when you say you were close to the edge,
0:11:53 > 0:11:54what do you mean?
0:11:54 > 0:11:58To be honest with you, Matt, I was contemplating suicide.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01You've reached a crisis point, effectively.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03- Yeah.- What happened next?
0:12:03 > 0:12:06My mother came in, and you know, gave me a cuddle,
0:12:06 > 0:12:08and asked me what was on my mind.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10What did you say to your mum?
0:12:10 > 0:12:12I just said, "I want to change who I am now.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15"I want to become a different person."
0:12:15 > 0:12:19And it's a sadly familiar tale. One in five young people in the UK
0:12:19 > 0:12:24are described as NEAT - not in employment, education or training.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26It's a huge weight for the whole country.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31After two long years of unemployment, and claiming Jobseeker's Allowance,
0:12:31 > 0:12:32one day at the Job Centre
0:12:32 > 0:12:36Andy heard about a scheme that got his attention.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39I heard an adviser next to my one talk about Kelly Holmes,
0:12:39 > 0:12:43and so there was a leaflet on the table.
0:12:43 > 0:12:44And I took this leaflet.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49I found out that Kelly Holmes was going to come to a local gymnasium near me.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52The event was being run by the Dame Kelly Holmes' Legacy Trust,
0:12:52 > 0:12:57and their aim was to sign up young people not in education, employment or training
0:12:57 > 0:12:59onto a development course.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Double Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes had set it up in 2008
0:13:03 > 0:13:08inspired by hardships of her own she'd suffered in younger years.
0:13:08 > 0:13:13From a disadvantaged background, she was taken into care several times
0:13:13 > 0:13:15when her single teenage mum struggled to cope.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18After an Army career, she turned to athletics,
0:13:18 > 0:13:23but her natural talent was hampered by scores of injuries and operations.
0:13:23 > 0:13:28But none of this stopped her winning two gold medals in the 2004 Athens Olympics.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33I believe that every young person
0:13:33 > 0:13:36needs a hero, or somebody to give them guidance.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40The charity, basically, is for disadvantaged young people.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44We utilise the skills and expertise of sporting champions,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47and through the journey that they've taken,
0:13:47 > 0:13:51they are able to communicate with young people really effectively
0:13:51 > 0:13:53about what it takes to be good,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56and you get that instant engagement with somebody
0:13:56 > 0:13:57that has been there and done it.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Andy summoned up the courage to go along to the event.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03We had an athlete there called Adam Whitehead,
0:14:03 > 0:14:07and he spoke so confidently about how his school life
0:14:07 > 0:14:10was really, really difficult.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15He'd struggled with dyslexia. His story and mine had so many parallels
0:14:15 > 0:14:19that I just felt like I could approach him and talk to him,
0:14:19 > 0:14:22and kind of ask him how he managed to do so well.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Former Olympian, European and Commonwealth swimming champion
0:14:25 > 0:14:29Adam Whitehead represented Great Britain for ten years.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33He won six medals including gold for the 100m breaststroke
0:14:33 > 0:14:35in the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37I went home with a smile on my face.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40My mum was like, "What's changed inside you?"
0:14:40 > 0:14:46I said, "I've just met probably one of the most inspirational people I've ever met in my entire life."
0:14:46 > 0:14:51Adam also remembers the first day of that programme very clearly.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53First time you met Andy, tell me about it.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55What did you meet?
0:14:55 > 0:14:58First day of any programme we stand quite near the entrance
0:14:58 > 0:15:02because we do get young people, they want to make that step,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05but they haven't quite the courage to do so.
0:15:05 > 0:15:11He was hovering around outside, and I remember sort of...almost asking him to come in.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15And then once we got him in it was great, because he stayed.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17He was quite overweight at the time.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19You could see straight away
0:15:19 > 0:15:23that he had lack of confidence in his own self-worth, almost.
0:15:23 > 0:15:28Andy's weight issue seemed to be one of the main reasons for his low self-esteem.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32At school I was about 7st, if that,
0:15:32 > 0:15:35and by the time I'd met Dame Kelly and Adam
0:15:35 > 0:15:38I was about 15 and a half stone.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42Despite his own issues with his weight and his lack of confidence,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Andy came back the next day, and the next.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49In fact, he didn't miss a single day of the six-week programme.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Chief Executive Officer Julie Whelan
0:15:52 > 0:15:55believes the programme gives young people vital skills for life,
0:15:55 > 0:15:58and the job market.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01During the period of the Get On Track programme
0:16:01 > 0:16:04young people are asked to take more personal responsibility,
0:16:04 > 0:16:08commit, think about their communication skills,
0:16:08 > 0:16:11think about how they work together as a team,
0:16:11 > 0:16:14and start to think about what they want to do with their life.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17I was excited, you know. I had something to look forward to.
0:16:17 > 0:16:22I was so determined to make the most of the opportunity I had.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26What was it that you saw emerging in Andy?
0:16:26 > 0:16:31By day three or day four, me and Andy had built a really good relationship.
0:16:31 > 0:16:32He was starting to open up about
0:16:32 > 0:16:34the things that had happened in the past,
0:16:34 > 0:16:37but also, you know, his aspirations for the future.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42Inspired by Adam, Andy decided to train as a fitness instructor,
0:16:42 > 0:16:44and signed up for a fast-track course.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46Before long, he was getting work,
0:16:46 > 0:16:51and the days of claiming Jobseeker's Allowance were finally over.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53So things are going well for you at work,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56and you've found the career that you're looking for.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58But it's not all plain sailing. What happens next?
0:16:58 > 0:17:01I started to feel ill.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04And at first I wasn't too sure what was wrong with me.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06I started to develop quite bad headaches
0:17:06 > 0:17:09to the extent where I couldn't go to work.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Over time it got more serious, and I started to have nosebleeds.
0:17:12 > 0:17:18And it just ended up being a really serious situation where I had to go and see my doctor.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21- What did the doctor say? - They weren't too sure what it was.
0:17:21 > 0:17:27So we had a period where I had to wait at home for a diagnosis.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30It was diagnosed as a tumour,
0:17:30 > 0:17:34and that's quite scary in itself.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37The tumour was behind Andy's right eye.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40His consultant told him not to work at all
0:17:40 > 0:17:42until he'd had an operation to remove it.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45So, suddenly you get this diagnosis.
0:17:45 > 0:17:46What effect did that have?
0:17:46 > 0:17:48It was really difficult
0:17:48 > 0:17:51because the temptation to kind of go back into my own bubble
0:17:51 > 0:17:53and isolate myself was there.
0:17:53 > 0:17:58But I had the support unit, I had the Trust.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00I've got dozens of friends out there to support you,
0:18:00 > 0:18:02and actually, in a situation like this,
0:18:02 > 0:18:06having people around you is probably more important than anything else.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Thankfully, by the time the operation came around
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Andy had been told that the tumour was benign,
0:18:11 > 0:18:15but the surgery itself was an ordeal, and he had to take things slowly
0:18:15 > 0:18:16until he fully recovered.
0:18:16 > 0:18:21We didn't hear anything, and then I got this most bizarre e-mail.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25And up popped Andy's two eyes in the e-mail - the pictures.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27He said, "I have good news."
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Not only was the tumour removed.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33Andy's sight was fine, and the cherry on the cake
0:18:33 > 0:18:38was during the operation, the surgeon decided to help solve another problem.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40There was an opportunity, when he was having the operation,
0:18:40 > 0:18:44to actually sort out something that Andy had been bullied about -
0:18:44 > 0:18:47that squint that he's lived with ever since he's been a young lad.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50That was sorted out too.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52So having been through a situation where...
0:18:52 > 0:18:55you know, you must have felt at times,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58- "What does the future hold for me?" - Yes.- You found out the truth.
0:18:58 > 0:18:59It's been dealt with.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02You must be feeling, "I've got to get back to work."
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Yeah, and that was my first instinct.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08The minute I kind of had my good news,
0:19:08 > 0:19:10and my bandages taken off, it was,
0:19:10 > 0:19:14"OK, now that I've been at the fitness industry for a little while
0:19:14 > 0:19:18"is there an entry into there, or do I have to look at something else?"
0:19:18 > 0:19:21During my time out, I was lucky enough to volunteer with the Trust.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25But I wanted to reach out to young people in my position
0:19:25 > 0:19:29so that if a situation like my situation ever presented itself
0:19:29 > 0:19:33to a young person, I could be there as a support unit for them, and help to get them through it.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37And the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust came up trumps again.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40They had a contract for a young mentor
0:19:40 > 0:19:42to work on their Keep On Track programme
0:19:42 > 0:19:43which gives young people extra help
0:19:43 > 0:19:45after they've finished their initial course.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47During my operation
0:19:47 > 0:19:51Dame Kelly and her CEO had been in close contact with me all the time,
0:19:51 > 0:19:53and after recovering from the operation
0:19:53 > 0:19:56the CEO came to meet me in Reading.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01The Trust had decided that, because of what happened to me,
0:20:01 > 0:20:05it was really out of my hands, and they wanted to offer me the chance to come and work for the Trust,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08and do something with their young people
0:20:08 > 0:20:11using my own story as an inspiration.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Andy aced the interview. The Trust was convinced
0:20:14 > 0:20:17he had exactly the right experience to be a young person's mentor
0:20:17 > 0:20:20to help them get fit and motivated in body and mind
0:20:20 > 0:20:23so they can fulfil their true potential.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27I get a real buzz out of seeing someone who maybe before
0:20:27 > 0:20:29didn't believe in themselves,
0:20:29 > 0:20:31a couple of months on doing something fantastic.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34He has done so well,
0:20:34 > 0:20:39and the young people who are now coming through the programmes,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42they respond to him because, when they're low,
0:20:42 > 0:20:46or when things feel tough, they look at him and realise
0:20:46 > 0:20:50he actually has had to go through hurdle after hurdle after hurdle,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53but he's taken personal responsibility.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56If Andy can do it, you know, others can do it.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00What Julie has done for me
0:21:00 > 0:21:02has been my pillar of support.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06She's acted almost like a mother would with her son
0:21:06 > 0:21:08in the way that she has gone above and beyond
0:21:08 > 0:21:11to continue to support me.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16Andy is one of the most amazing characters that I've ever met.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19He has transformed his own life.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22I have seen him grow from an unconfident,
0:21:22 > 0:21:25low in self-esteem young boy
0:21:25 > 0:21:29to a man with purpose who I believe has a bright future ahead of him.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39Time now to move away from our saints
0:21:39 > 0:21:42and return to the greedy world of our scroungers.
0:21:42 > 0:21:48In Hull, mother-of-two Dawn Oughton had been claiming to be a single widow since 1996,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51and as such, was entitled to Widowed Mother's Allowance.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53But in the summer of 2010,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57she was accused of having a long-term live-in male partner,
0:21:57 > 0:21:59making her claim potentially fraudulent.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Despite five anonymous tip-offs being made about her,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Oughton denied the relationship,
0:22:06 > 0:22:08and claimed the man was her non-rent-paying lodger
0:22:08 > 0:22:12who just happened to have been living with her for 14 years.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19All five allegations were saying basically the same thing,
0:22:19 > 0:22:23that Mrs Oughton was living together as husband and wife with a man.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26But then another man came on the scene.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29Someone Oughton had taken to visiting in America.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32It was this man who called the investigators to say
0:22:32 > 0:22:34that the lodger had been asked to leave.
0:22:34 > 0:22:39It seemed that Oughton and her housemate were no longer on friendly terms.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42But who was this phone informant?
0:22:42 > 0:22:44Well, it turned out to be an old school friend of Dawn Oughton,
0:22:44 > 0:22:48and by the time she visited the investigator's office for the second time
0:22:48 > 0:22:52she brought her passport and her American pal with her.
0:22:53 > 0:22:58What we wanted to look at was her absences in America
0:22:58 > 0:23:00while she was in receipt of the Widowed Mother's Allowance
0:23:00 > 0:23:03in case the absences impacted on her receiving the benefit
0:23:03 > 0:23:05and entitlement.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07What we discovered was that
0:23:07 > 0:23:10it didn't affect her benefit at all at that time.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15But of course, during the examination of the passport
0:23:15 > 0:23:19what we discovered was that the emergency contact
0:23:19 > 0:23:20was the alleged partner.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23And she also mentioned during her visit to the office
0:23:23 > 0:23:26that she intended returning to America
0:23:26 > 0:23:28with her other friend.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31She was possibly going for four weeks.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34And it was during this absence that
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Oughton's alleged partner/lodger/emergency contact
0:23:37 > 0:23:40made his appearance at the Hull offices.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43He did call in, and we interviewed him under caution.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Subsequently to that, he produced...
0:23:47 > 0:23:54..quite a lot of evidence which tended to support his story
0:23:54 > 0:23:59that he was actually in a living together situation with Mrs Oughton.
0:23:59 > 0:24:04He produced birthday cards to him
0:24:04 > 0:24:07from Mrs Oughton's children, calling him Dad.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12There was a Valentine's card to him from Mrs Oughton.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15So this was obviously valuable information
0:24:15 > 0:24:20towards building a case that would possibly substantiate the fact
0:24:20 > 0:24:23that they were living together as husband and wife.
0:24:23 > 0:24:28So, at last investigators had evidence that Oughton's lodger
0:24:28 > 0:24:31was her actual partner, and had been since 1996.
0:24:31 > 0:24:37And what he told them married up to the team's investigation into the couple's finances.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39When they'd looked into her accounts,
0:24:39 > 0:24:41they found a business in their joint names,
0:24:41 > 0:24:45and that the partner paid for the water and Council Tax.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48They gave Oughton one last chance to come clean.
0:24:50 > 0:24:55It gave her the opportunity to say exactly what she wanted.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59But in the end, she was still denying that a living together as husband and wife situation existed.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04Enough was enough. The investigators had to move things on,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07and they passed the matter on to the decision makers.
0:25:07 > 0:25:12The decision that came back was that she was not entitled to the benefit,
0:25:12 > 0:25:17and the overpayment was calculated that she owed the Department...
0:25:20 > 0:25:23The investigators knew that Oughton owned her house,
0:25:23 > 0:25:25and had interests in a shop,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28and wanted to use these assets to put back into the public purse
0:25:28 > 0:25:31at least some of the money she'd stolen.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34When a confiscation order is made,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37the individual is given an amount of time to pay that back.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Now, for a lot of people that will mean
0:25:39 > 0:25:41that property, or cars, or goods have to be sold
0:25:41 > 0:25:43to get that money.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46They're given a fairly short timescale. It's usually around three months.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49And every day that it's not paid it accrues interest.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53There needs to be a deterrent factor that actually crime doesn't pay,
0:25:53 > 0:25:55and whatever criminality you're involved in,
0:25:55 > 0:25:59if you're going to get money, we will come after you and we will get it back.
0:25:59 > 0:26:00But this was Dawn Oughton.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04Of course, it was never going to be straightforward.
0:26:04 > 0:26:05On the 2nd of January,
0:26:05 > 0:26:08everyone convened at Hull Crown Court
0:26:08 > 0:26:12for the case to be heard, with the exception of Mrs Oughton
0:26:12 > 0:26:15who by then was living in Spain.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Spain?!
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Did Oughton really not understand just how much trouble she was in,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23or was she just off on one last jolly?
0:26:23 > 0:26:27Whatever it was, the courts weren't going to let her absence
0:26:27 > 0:26:30delay proceedings any further.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33The judge decided that the case would go ahead,
0:26:33 > 0:26:37but passed the message to Mrs Oughton
0:26:37 > 0:26:42that he would expect her to attend on the 3rd of January.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44She didn't turn up on the 3rd,
0:26:44 > 0:26:49and she passed a message to the judge that if her attendance was necessary
0:26:49 > 0:26:53could you perhaps reconvene the case in Gibraltar?
0:26:53 > 0:26:55The judge was not willing to do that,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58so the case continued in her absence.
0:26:58 > 0:27:03At the end of the trial, the jury found a guilty verdict unanimously.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05The sentence was 12 months' imprisonment.
0:27:05 > 0:27:1012 months behind bars. Quite a result.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12But she couldn't very well do her sentence
0:27:12 > 0:27:14when she was off in sunny Spain.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16There was already an arrest warrant in issue
0:27:16 > 0:27:19because she failed to appear at the start of the trial,
0:27:19 > 0:27:21but after the guilty verdict that was returned by the jury,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24he issued a European-wide arrest warrant
0:27:24 > 0:27:28so that she could be brought back to this country to face her punishment.
0:27:28 > 0:27:34Dawn Oughton finally saw sense, and returned to the UK in January 2013.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37She was promptly put in prison, and given an extra 28 days
0:27:37 > 0:27:39for not attending her trial,
0:27:39 > 0:27:41but that wasn't the end of the story.
0:27:43 > 0:27:44While Mrs Oughton was in prison,
0:27:44 > 0:27:47the financial investigation had continued.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49They held a separate hearing
0:27:49 > 0:27:54when they made a compensation claim for an additional £9,300
0:27:54 > 0:28:00which will have to be repaid in addition to the overpayment of £28,000.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02She owes in excess of £37,000.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07It's a lot of money, but the good news to the taxpayer
0:28:07 > 0:28:12is that in October 2013, she did pay back every single penny.