A mum stole 15,000 of benefits by claiming her disabled son was "hiding in the loft" when he had actually moved 7,000 miles away to the Philippines.

June Roberts lied to the authorities to bankroll Paul Roberts, 45, who had in fact jetted off to Southeast Asia to start a new life.

The 65-year-old, from St Helens, acted as the appointee for her son, who has schizophrenia, when making claims on his behalf in 2016.

Paul was said to be unable to work through ill-health and to have both severe mobility difficulties and significant care needs.

His Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and Personal Independence Payments (PIP) were paid direct into his bank account.

But he booked a flight to the Philippines in May 2017 - where he then married - and never came back to Merseyside.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) rang Mrs Roberts in a review of his case that July.

She claimed he couldn't come to the phone because he was "hiding in the loft" and the dishonest scam continued undetected.

Paul continued to regularly withdraw cash in the Philippines until the DWP was alerted to a possible fraud and stopped his benefits.

On November 9, 2018, Mrs Roberts was interviewed and asked if she knew her son had moved to the Philippines.

The mum, of Sherdley Park Drive, St Helens, claimed: "Not really. Because Paul lives at home, he's at home now."

Mrs Roberts then conceded he may have been on holiday there for a few weeks, before admitting he had married out there.

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The officer asked why she hadn't told a DWP official in the July phone call that her son was really halfway across the globe.

She said: "I can't remember. I honestly thought he was upstairs in the loft because I shouted down to him to answer the phone."

Roberts, who now admits this was yet another lie, pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud. She has no previous convictions.

David Polglase, prosecuting, today said the Crown Prosecution Service accepted the money went into Paul's bank account.

Zillah Williams, defending, said her client had back problems but assured the court she was willing to do suitable unpaid work.

She said Roberts had already paid about 4,000 back to the DWP and that she "made no financial benefit from this whatsoever".

Ms Williams said: "She feels extremely let down by her son, who has absolved himself of any responsibility it appears, even though he was the one who took himself out of the country, against her better wishes, and has made no contribution to repay her.

"Mr Roberts who sits at the back of court is equally dismayed by his son's actions."

Ms Williams said Roberts was made her son's appointee in 2007 and couldn't remember signing the form to do so.

Judge Sophie McKone accepted the mum's remorse was "significant and genuine" and that the case had caused her anxiety and stress.

The judge also accepted that Roberts didn't benefit personally from the scam, but said benefit fraud was not a victimless crime.

She said such crimes reduced the limited amount of taxpayers' money available to help those who need it most.

Judge McKone handed her a 12-month community order with 180 hours of unpaid work.

Simon Tunnicliffe, of the Crown Prosecution Service's Fraud Unit, previously told the ECHO that Roberts' committed a "substantial fraud".

He said: "Her claims to have told her son to come down from the loft to answer the phone when he was in fact in the Philippines were ludicrous.

"He'd been withdrawing cash from the Philippines and it was clear his mother was helping him.

"She'd contested a rejected PIP claim on the basis that Paul couldn't move about at all. He was living in another continent.

"As Paul's appointee, she was responsible for letting the authorities know if his circumstances changed. She didn't and may never have done so if the authorities hadn't caught up with her.

"This is public money, there are many demands on it and cases like this could affect the many people who really need the support of the state to survive."

A Proceeds of Crime timetable has been set up to recoup the money that was dishonestly claimed.

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Benefit fraudster mum claimed son was 'hiding in the loft' but he was actually in the Philippines - Liverpool Echo