Woman Who 'Couldn't Walk' Jailed After Running 10k Races And Joining The Shropshire Shufflers

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]Helen Greaves, 49, told the Department for Work and Pensions she could barely walk 5 minutes without crutches. Severe rheumatoid arthritis, she said. A slipped disc, she said. What she did not mention was the three 10K races or the Zumba or the Body Combat, Body Pump, Core Blast, and Spin classes at Shrewsbury Sports Village.

[00:00:26]She was also a paid-up member of the Shropshire Shufflers, a running group whose name does not exactly scream housebound.

[00:00:34]One 10K, she finished in 1 hour 3 minutes, faster than most people manage with two working knees and a clear conscience.

[00:00:44]Between January 2020 and March 2023, she pocketed £25,244 in personal independence payments she was not entitled to.

[00:00:58]On Tuesday at Shrewsbury Crown Court, she pleaded guilty to failing to tell the DWP about her changing circumstances, namely the running.

[00:01:09]She was jailed for 7 months.

[00:01:12]The DWP, it turns out, can also do a decent sprint when it wants to.