Sara Morris, 50, pocketed £20,000 while claiming MS left her unable to get out of bath – but was secretly competing in marathons with Stone Master Marathoners
A SHAMELESS benefits cheat mother who claimed more than £20,000 by lying about her Multiple Sclerosis has been caught out after Facebook posts showed her competing in dozens of running races.
Sara Morris, 50, was diagnosed with MS in 2005, but in 2020 claimed the severity of her progressive disease had left her:
- Unable to stand at the cooker
- Lacking balance
- Unable to get out of her bath unassisted
- So anxious that trips to the pharmacy left her IN TEARS
But the mother-of-three was secretly a member of the Stone Master Marathoners running club and competed in a staggering 73 RACES between May 2019 and December 2022.
JAILED FOR EIGHT MONTHS
Morris, of Walton Way, Stone, Staffordshire, was jailed for eight months in July 2024 after admitting dishonestly making a false statement to obtain a benefit.
Now she has been ordered to repay £22,386.02 within 28 days or face an additional NINE MONTHS in prison.
The benefits fraudster was caught after investigators discovered her own celebratory Facebook posts showing her crossing finish lines and posing with her running club.
THE £2,292 MONTHLY FRAUD
Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard Morris was paid a whopping £2,292.63 PER MONTH in Personal Independence Payment (PIP) – money meant for the most severely disabled.
Prosecutor Regan Walters revealed Morris had been awarded the enhanced rate “for somebody who cannot walk for one single meter” – benefits typically reserved for people who are:
- Wheelchair-bound
- Have no legs at all
- Completely unable to walk
“You lied through your teeth,” Judge Robert Smith told Morris during her original sentencing. “This was a planned, professional, and deliberate fraud.”
CAUGHT RED-HANDED
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) launched surveillance on Morris from February 5 to February 20, 2023, which revealed the shocking truth:
February 5, 2023: Morris competed in a five-mile race – running without assistance and showing no signs of balance problems
February 11, 2023: She was spotted running with the Stone Master Marathoners showing “no signs of discomfort”
The investigation uncovered Morris had competed in:
- 73 races between May 2019 and December 2022
- Regular 5km and 10km events
- A 2019 Thunder Run 24-hour relay event
- Multiple marathons and half-marathons
FACEBOOK BETRAYAL
Morris’s own social media posts proved her downfall. Just TWO DAYS before claiming increased PIP benefits in 2020, she posted photos from a running competition.
The DWP obtained photographs of the defendant and some Facebook posts taken by Morris herself. She had been taking part in marathons, races, and orienteering,” prosecutors told the court.
The running club’s own website still shows Morris’s race results, including:
- Clayton 10k – 55:50
- Crewe 10k – 54:13
- Westbridge 5 – 43:39
- Multiple other events throughout 2024
‘I RUN TO MANAGE MY MS’
In a desperate attempt to explain away her deception, Morris claimed during her May 2023 interview that “running was one of the ways she tried to manage her MS.”
The judge wasn’t buying it.
“You told lies about the severity of your condition,” Recorder Robert Smith said. “You were regularly running and competing in organized running events.”
Her defense lawyer Paul Cliff admitted: “It is accepted by her that the application did not give the full picture. It crossed over into the realms of dishonesty.“
FINANCIAL RUIN
The court heard Morris’s marriage broke down in spring 2020, leaving her in financial difficulties.
“She lost her home because of financial problems and was struggling to keep her head above water financially,” Mr Cliff said.
But the judge showed NO SYMPATHY for the fraudster who had stolen from genuinely disabled people.
Morris was overpaid £20,528.83 between October 20, 2020 and April 25, 2023 – money that could have gone to those truly in need.
THE REPAYMENT ORDER
At a recent Proceeds of Crime hearing, Judge Graeme Smith was told Morris:
- Benefited from her crimes by £22,386.02
- Has available assets of £60,000
- Must repay the full amount within 28 days
- Will serve nine months in prison if she defaults
- Must also pay a £187 surcharge
MS SUFFERERS’ FURY
The case has sparked outrage among genuine MS sufferers who struggle daily with the debilitating condition.
One MS charity spokesperson said: “This type of fraud makes it harder for people with genuine disabilities to be believed and get the support they desperately need.”
WHAT IS PIP?
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is designed to help with extra living costs for those with:
- Long-term physical or mental health conditions
- Disabilities
- Difficulties with daily living or mobility
The enhanced rate Morris fraudulently claimed is reserved for the most severely disabled who:
- Cannot walk more than one meter
- Need help with basic daily tasks
- Require constant care and support
THE VERDICT
Morris admitted dishonestly making a false statement to obtain a benefit and was sentenced last July.
The mother-of-three has now learned she must repay every penny of her ill-gotten gains – or face even longer behind bars.
As one investigator put it: “She was literally running away with taxpayers’ money meant for the most vulnerable in society.
