A Bradford businessman who falsely claimed more than £50,000 in benefits over nine years has been jailed after covert surveillance and cruise holiday photos exposed his deception.
Nathan Wood, 58, of Beacon Road, Bradford, told the Department of Work and Pensions he was unable to walk without assistance, fraudulently claiming over £53,800. Bradford Crown Court heard on Thursday, October 8, that he wildly exaggerated the severity of his rheumatoid arthritis, claiming he required a walking frame or wheelchair and was incapable of walking more than 50 metres.
False claims and co-defendant's role
While continuing to run his vehicle repair business, Wood declared in 2018 that he needed a walking aid. Just two years later, he went further, claiming he was wheelchair bound and unable to work or drive. His co-defendant Laura Clayton, 40, of Eaglesfield Drive, Bradford, posed as his full-time carer and insisted she "saw him in pain every day." Clayton even acted as his representative during an appeal against the removal of his benefits.
Wood's deception unravelled after covert surveillance captured him at work, ferrying colleagues around in his company vehicle. In August 2023, cameras caught him behind the wheel of a van heading to a leisure facility, strolling across the car park before making his way into the swimming baths.
Cruise photos and social media posts
This August, Wood shared photos on his Facebook profile with a message wishing his wife a happy birthday. The images depict the couple on what appears to be a lavish cruise holiday, with Wood sporting glitzy jackets while posing at the vessel's bow and along the "royal promenade."
In a separate post, he captioned a photograph of himself with his three children with what appears to be a nod to a pyramid scheme. Wood wrote: "Tomorrow, most people will drag themselves back to their 9-5 jobs, dreading the routine and craving more freedom. If that's you - I get it. But what if I told you there's a way to build a life-having business model instead of a life-draining one? Something that gives you time, flexibility and purpose - not just a pay check. I've got the blueprint."
Sentencing and repayment
Lauren Smith, representing both Wood and Clayton, told the court that Wood had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2014 but had "overstated the severity of the symptoms" when claiming Personal Independence Payment. She stressed both defendants conveyed their "deep remorse" and weren't attempting to make excuses. Smith clarified there was no indication Clayton had pocketed "a cut" for her involvement.
Recorder Taryn Turner heard that Wood, who had been pocketing benefit payments of up to £450 monthly, was now repaying £65 each month through an agreed repayment scheme. The court was told Wood had collected benefit payments amounting to just over £53,800 in total.
Turner handed Wood a 16-month jail term and gave Clayton a five-month sentence suspended for 12 months, with Clayton additionally ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work. Addressing the defendants, she stated: "These are serious offences. Benefit fraud over a prolonged period of time undermines the integrity of the social security system. Throughout that period you represented your medical condition severely restricted your mobility and daily functioning...This was not an isolated act of dishonesty. It was a sustained fraud maintained over many years and involving repeated false representations to preserve your entitlement to benefits."
After sentencing, a DWP spokesperson commented: "Benefit fraud is not a victimless crime. Every pound stolen is money that should be supporting those who genuinely need help and funding our public services. The message is simple, if you cheat the benefits system, you will be found, you will have to pay the money back, and you could face prosecution. And if you know someone defrauding the system, please report it."
