Benefits fraudster spared jail after stealing £24k in Universal Credit with dozens of fake childcare invoices

Benefits fraudster spared jail after stealing £24k in Universal Credit with dozens of fake childcare invoices

A 35-year-old mother from Chorley has escaped a prison sentence after defrauding the benefits system of £24,000 through fabricated childcare documents. Laura Stewart broke down in tears at Preston Crown Court when she learned she would not be sent to jail for the offence.Over a two-year period, Stewart submitted 46 fake invoices to the Department for Work and Pensions, claiming Universal Credit payments she was not entitled to receive.The mother…