A businessman from Bradford has been jailed after falsely claiming more than £50,000 in benefits over nine years. Nathan Wood, 58, of Beacon Road, told the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) he could not walk unaided, but was later caught on camera working and driving a van.
False claims and surveillance
Bradford Crown Court heard on Thursday, October 8, that Wood embellished his rheumatoid arthritis, saying he needed a walking frame or wheelchair and could not walk more than 50 metres. He claimed he needed a walking aid in 2018, and by 2020 said he was wheelchair-bound and could not work or drive.
His co-defendant, Laura Clayton, 40, of Eaglesfield Drive, Bradford, posed as his carer and said she “saw him in pain every day.” She also acted as his representative in an appeal against the removal of his benefits.
The deception was uncovered after covert surveillance footage showed Wood working and driving colleagues in his work van. In August 2023, he was filmed driving to a sports centre, walking through the car park, and entering a swimming pool.
Social media posts and sentencing
In August this year, Wood posted photographs on Facebook wishing his wife a happy birthday, showing the pair on what appears to be an expensive cruise. He also posted a caption referencing a business opportunity, writing: “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?”
Lauren Smith, representing both Wood and Clayton, told the court Wood had received his rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis in 2014 but had “overstated the severity of the symptoms” on his Personal Independence Payment (PIP). She said both had expressed “deep remorse” and made no excuses. There was no suggestion Clayton had received a “cut” for her role, Smith added.
Wood had been receiving benefit payments of up to £450 a month and was now repaying £65 a month under a repayment plan. The court heard he had received total payments of just over £53,800.
Court outcome and DWP warning
Recorder Taryn Turner jailed Wood for 16 months and sentenced Clayton to five months in prison, suspended for 12 months, plus 80 hours of unpaid work. Turner told the pair: “These are serious offences. Benefit fraud over a prolonged period of time undermines the integrity of the social security system... 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.”
Following the sentencing, a DWP spokesperson said: “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.”
