A Midlands woman, Dawna Bird from Alvaston, has received a suspended prison sentence after admitting to defrauding over £14,000 in Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefits while living in Greece. Bird appeared at Derby Crown Court and pleaded guilty on the first day of her trial.
Between 2019 and 2023, Bird spent more than 1,000 days living overseas without notifying the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), a legal requirement for claimants who leave the UK for over 28 days. Despite this, she continued to claim PIP payments during her extended absence.
Prosecutor Stefan Fox revealed that Bird’s deception came to light through screenshots on Facebook, where she was found advertising her services as a childminder while residing abroad. Bird returned to the UK in August 2023 and denied living overseas during a voluntary interview, contradicting the evidence.
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Judge Shaun Smith KC sentenced Bird to five months in custody, suspended for 12 months, emphasizing the strength of the evidence and noting that Bird is now repaying the money in installments.
Bird’s husband, Harry Bird, previously received a suspended nine-month sentence after fraudulently claiming around £70,000 in additional payments. Dawna Bird’s criminal record includes prior convictions for theft and handling stolen goods dating back to the 1980s. Her barrister, Dan Scothern, stated that her initial claim was legitimate but she is now repaying the fraudulent amount directly.