Shameless mum-of-two jokes 'unlucky I got caught' and 'at least they used decent picture' after swindling £14,000 in Universal Credit

Katie Moran failed to tell the authorities she was 'maintaining a common household' with her partner

A shameless mum who swindled more than £14,000 in benefits joked on Facebook "I was just unlucky I got caught" and "at least they [the local paper] used a decent picture".

Katie Moran, 27, claimed Universal Credit from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on the grounds she was a single mum and had no income or savings.

But she failed to tell the authorities she was "maintaining a common household" with her partner who paid money into her account.

The 27-year-old, of Bacup, Lancashire, was overpaid £14,466.83 worth of benefits over a 14-month period from February 22, 2016 to May 1, 2017.

Moran pleaded guilty at Burnley Magistrates Court to dishonestly making a false statement or representation to the DWP to obtain Universal Credit.

But she appeared to show little remorse on Facebook

According to the Sun , alongside a laughing emoji, the mum-of-two posted on Facebook: "I was just unlucky and got caught.

"Two good wages coming into this house now and we are still living on the breadline! F***ing joke."

She added: "I am absolutely distraught but it’s nobody’s fault but my own!"

And referring to a report of the case in her local newspaper, she wrote: "At least they used a decent picture."

Defence solicitor Ben Leech told a court health care assistant Moran had "learned the error of her ways" and was "very much ashamed and regrets her behaviour".

She was given a 12-month community order with a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement, a four-week curfew and ordered to pay £50 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.

Prosecutor Andrew Robinson told the court her claim was "fraudulent from the outset" and the DWP had evidence from "various sources that she was maintaining a common household".

He said: "The DWP will take their own steps to recover the money that was overspent."

Mr Leech said Moran would regularly separate and get back together with her partner Robert Carter in a "continuing pattern" and at the time of making the benefits claim she did not think they would reconcile.

Mr Leech said: "Mr Carter, despite the problems, continued to provide some financial support.

"Quite properly the DWP see it as a continuing financial relationship which Miss Moran, when spoken to, had to concede.

"There was money going into her bank from Mr Carter over periods when they weren’t together and periods when they were living together.

"Miss Moran did contact them on a number of occasions to indicate there were periods when they were getting back together and periods when it was anticipated they would get back together and to some degree kept them updated, but accepts the full picture wasn’t provided.

"I don’t think this was a lady who had gone into this with any dishonest intent."