Full Breakdown
Benefits Fraud Conviction Leads to 500-Year Repayment Plan
8/13/2026, 10:35:15 PM
Core Event
Lesleyann McLean, 44, of Affric Avenue, Scone, was found by Perth Sheriff Court to have unlawfully claimed universal credit by declaring herself single while cohabiting with her husband, Barry McLean. She admitted that between July 27 2020 and November 4 2023 she failed to notify the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) of this material change. The court ordered the over-payment of £27,908 to be recovered from her future benefits at £5 per month, a schedule that would extend for more than 465 years, ending when she would be 510 years old. Sheriff William Wood imposed a 12-month curfew as an alternative to imprisonment.
Data & Statistics
- Over-payment amount: £27,908
- Repayment rate: £5 per month
- Total repayment period: > 465 years (completion at age 510)
- Offending period: July 27 2020 – November 4 2023
Official Statements & Responses
Sheriff William Wood emphasized that benefit fraud “affects all of us” because it diverts funds from those entitled to support. He noted the seriousness of the undisclosed change in circumstances and applied a curfew in lieu of a custodial sentence.
Defence solicitor Kirsty Watson argued that McLean did not use the funds for a lavish lifestyle but to meet household expenses and to support her adult son’s drug-addiction debts.
Verbatim Quotes
- “What is beyond doubt is that fraud of this kind affects all of us because it means there is more money for you that you are not entitled to - and less for the other people who are entitled to it. It could be used for other services or things the Government provides. There was a change of circumstances you ought to have told them about and you ignored that.” — Solicitor Kirsty Watson — Solicitor Kirsty Watson
