GitLab

There is nothing from another location out of the regular about Angela Lloyd and Lee Phillips' semi-detached house on a quiet cul-de-sac in Merseyside.

And to the common eye, Lloyd looks like a regular middle-aged mum who works relentlessly to look after her ill hubby.

So it was to the sheer shock of neighbours when cops descended on their driveway to raid the couple's St Helens home.

Hiding behind the household's net drapes was in fact a decade-long web of lies which saw Lloyd and Phillips pocket ₤ 270k in taxpayer cash.

Lloyd, 58, sobbed 'Oh my god' as she was imprisoned today over a string of untruths consisting of utilizing a dead female's identity, comprising 'fake' medical conditions for her son, and creating pseudonyms to work while claiming carers allowance.

Husband Phillips, 54, was likewise imprisoned after the pair's huge benefits scams was lastly exposed.

While the couple managed to siphon off their ill-gotten gains for several years - neighbours have actually exposed to MailOnline the apparent clues that the couple were running a scam.

Angela Lloyd defrauded the taxpayer of ₤ 170k over a period of 11-and-a-half years. Detectives uncovered a web of lies consisting of the development of pseudonyms to claim benefits
swissmadesoftware.org
The scammer next door: The presuming semi-detached home Lloyd had moved into with Phillips. Phillips had actually failed to disclose this to the council when she relocated in 2018

Phillips pictured in an Assistance for Heroes hoodie throughout a street party held for the late Queen's Diamond Jubilee. He is said to have played a DJ set at the event

Initially, neighbours on Birch Gardens were fretted for the couple after Phillips was seen looking extremely frail as he would 'hobble' on his walking stay with fulfill his carers.

But they were then left puzzled when he was at other times spotted cleaning his BMW, driving, and even playing a DJ set for their street party for the late Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Locals likewise informed of how there was 'always something dodgy' about Lloyd, which she would never look people 'in the eye', however would boast about 'secret ₤ 60k caravan' they would leave to on the weekends.

Lloyd was sentenced to two years after Liverpool Crown Court found she fraudulently took almost ₤ 170,000 in advantages over a years, and also helped Phillips falsely declare benefits worth ₤ 100,000, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.

When neighbours saw them leaving among their 2 vehicles previously this week, they thought they were going off to remain at their secret caravan, just to discover they were going to jail.

One neighbour told of the couple: 'I thought they were dodgy as he made a real show of not having the ability to stroll whenever his carers were here.

'He was shuffling along and holding onto his cars in the driveway before he took a very long time to get to his carer's vehicle on his walking stick.

'But the next thing I saw him cleaning his BMW in the driveway - he seemed to be strolling fine then.

'And he did a DJ set for the Queen's Jubilee celebration back in 2022. He had all the speakers out and whatever.

'But after the authorities raid, they ended up being more reserved and didn't say a lot to individuals.

'There was always something dodgy about her - she would not look individuals in the eye and bragged about going to her ₤ 60,000 caravan however would never ever state where it was.

'They would take her teenage son and disappear on a Thursday night and not get back till Sunday.'

Phillips had actually fraudulently claimed ₤ 100k in PIP, housing benefits, employment support allowance and council tax decreases that he was not eligible for. Neighbours informed of how he would look 'frail' and 'hobble on a walking stick' in the presence of carers, but at other times was seen 'strolling great'

Following the authorities raid on the quiet suburban street, neighbours were entrusted concerns regarding why the couple had actually been arrested - and some allege Lloyd had later informed them it was down to pet breeding.

But these concerns were lastly laid to rest on Tuesday when the court heard how Lloyd had declared an overall of ₤ 169,394.15 which she was not gotten approved for in housing benefits, carers allowance and personal independence payments throughout 11-and-a-half years.

With the assistance of Lloyd, Phillips was also found to have actually unlawfully claimed ₤ 100,980.71 through PIP, housing benefits, work support allowance and council tax decreases given that 2018.

Olivia Beesley, prosecuting, detailed how the mother's intricate fraud began when she incorrectly started declaring housing benefits for a caravan on Riverside Walk in Southport - which was discovered to be a 'fictitious address'.

She even made a fake occupancy agreement for the 'totally fictitious caravan', ultimately swiping ₤ 71,597.16 from Lancashire Borough Council in relation to the non-existent residence.

Then in 2018, she started making fraudulent claims that her hubby needed 'several daily carers to attend to his needs'. She went as far as using Phillips' sibling Zoe's birth certificate to impersonate his sibling and claim that she was his primary carer.

She likewise lied that she was not able to work due to being a full-time carer, but was found to have been working under an incorrect identity Wendy Lloyd at care business Hand in Hand Homecare, and under another pseudonym Angela Valentine at a Tesco.

In 2022, she started developing 'false medical conditions' for her boy, claiming she had a carer called Joyce Bibby - a dead woman's identity. Nearly ₤ 10k in incorrect disability living allowance overpayments were declared in relation to this.

She once again used the departed woman's name as being her social worker to claim ₤ 13,526.70 of PIP, mentioning that she needed carers due to 'health conditions'.

Neighbours told of how Lloyd would boast about a '₤ 60k caravan' in a secret place that she never ever revealed, and would state they were going to remain at the caravan from Thursday to Sunday

One neighbour said they saw the couple leaving on of their automobiles previously today and presumed they were going off to their 'caravan', just to later on learn they were off to prison

When MailOnline visited Phillips' address in Birch Gardens which he shared with Lloyd, neighbours exposed how the couple and her son would supposedly go off to a caravan on the weekends.

It is not known whether this was the same 'fictitious caravan' which transpired to have never ever existed, or an indeed a different, real caravan.

Leni Newton, 63, said: 'She informed individuals that the police raid was because someone had actually informed on her for reproducing border collie young puppies without a licence.

'I'm surprised they have actually been imprisoned. I believed they were all above board.

'I only saw them a few days ago packing up suitcases - I thought they were simply going to their caravan.'

She included: 'I know they satisfied as she was his carer. He was married however Angela moved in. I thought she had actually resided in Southport.

'I did see his ex-wife parked up in the street enjoying his home when they divided.

'She was obviously spying on them.'

Her partner David Manchester, 70, said: 'It's a big surprise they appeared to be living a double life.

'There were a lot of cops came here.

'He was at the street party for the Queen however other times he did seem extremely frail.'

Hand in Hand homecare firm confirmed to MailOnline that Lloyd had bona fide references, DBS checks and training certificates in the name of Wendy Lloyd.

A spokesman stated: 'We sacked her immediately when we learnt the fact.

'All her DBS and references checked out. The authorities said we had not done anything incorrect.'

The court heard how Phillips also duped money from the general public purse by failing to reveal the fact that Lloyd had moved into his home in 2018 - permitting him to continue declaring more than ₤ 13k in housing benefits and ₤ 2.2 k in council tax reductions.

He is likewise stated to have actually 'exaggerated' his medical conditions and require for care, mentioning that he was unable to do anything for himself.

He stated himself 'unsuited for work' and stopped working to discuss his spouse's wage - illegally pocketing ₤ 51k in work support allowance.

However, Phillips alleged that Lloyd had actually completed the kind and had just 'asked him to sign it'.

Phillips' counsel Jim Smith argued he has a 'intricate current history' of mental health and impairments consisting of neurological disorder, stress and anxiety and anxiety.

He was likewise stated to have actually a pacemaker fitted and appeared in court in a wheelchair.

While Phillips had no previous convictions connecting to comparable matters, nevertheless Lloyd's rap sheet reveals previous entries for theft and dishonesty offenses dating as far back as the 1980s - though her last appearance remained in 2012.

Lloyd was imprisoned for two years after admitting seven counts of scams by false representation, and Phillips was also seen cleaning back tears as he was imprisoned for 20 months for scams by false representation and three counts of dishonestly failing to reveal info to make a gain.

Sentencing, Judge Simon Medland KC stated: 'Over an 11-year duration, or more than that, you, Angela Lloyd, managed to defraud the general public of simply except ₤ 170,000 and you, Lee Phillips, of about ₤ 100,000. In your case, Mr Phillips, over a five-year duration, you had about ₤ 20,000 annually which you defrauded from the general public.

'For those who look for to defraud the general public of scarce and important advantages which require to be directed to those who require them, not those who just want to have them for factors of individual greed, that is a major offense devoted by each of you over an extended period of time.'