Eleanor Chadder sentenced for £38k benefits fraud in Cornwall

Eleanor Chadder, a 40‑year‑old youth worker from Hayle, Cornwall, was convicted of dishonestly claiming Employment Support Allowance by failing to inform the Department for Work and Pensions that she was cohabiting with partner Sarah Bray. The fraud totalled £38,338 between August 2015 and May 2021. She has repaid £1,700 and the court ordered her to repay the remaining amount plus £1,800 in costs at a rate of £100 per month, meaning it will take 33 years to clear the debt.

Recorder Richard Paige at Truro Crown Court sentenced Chadder to a four‑month custodial term suspended for 18 months, describing the conduct as “sustained dishonesty over six years”. The judge noted her physical and mental health conditions and assessed her as a low risk of reoffending. The case was cited in broader analysis of benefits fraud, which costs UK taxpayers billions each year.