A divorcee who claimed she had no money so she could rake in Universal Credit for five years had more than £40,000 secretly stashed away.

Bolton Crown Court heard how Susan Pearson, from Wigan , had sponged tens of thousands of pounds after making a false claim to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) .

The 58-year-old told officials she was single, unemployed and had no savings or investments to fall back on - before claiming more than £40,000 over a five-year period.

But investigators eventually uncovered two accounts Pearson held with Nationwide, with undeclared savings totalling £40,616.37, and a pension account with Co-Funds. The maximum capital limit for those claiming Universal Credit is £16,000.

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