Jobless Ryedale woman has her benefits stopped (From Gazette & Herald)

Jobless Ryedale woman has her benefits stopped

A JOBLESS Ryedale woman, branded "Britain's laziest woman" by a tabloid newspaper, faces a difficult future after a tribunal approved a decision to stop her benefits.

Susan Moore, 34, has never had a job, and, after 14 years cashing welfare cheques, her money was stopped by benefit bosses after she failed to complete a "back-to-work" course.

Ms Moore, who lives with her mother, Jennifer, in Burythorpe, near Malton, appealed against the decision, which took away her only income of £90 a fortnight.

She claimed to have missed classes because she had an appointment with an insurance saleswoman selling a funeral policy for her mother.

But at an Appeals Service hearing in York, chairman Derek Kenningham ruled that Ms Moore should be disqualified from benefits for 26 weeks from last November because her excuse for not attending was "unconvincing".

He said: "The period of 26 weeks is appropriate because in the preceding 12 months there had also been eight previous disqualifications."

Speaking afterwards, Ms Moore said that she was "absolutely disgusted" with the decision. She said: "I don't think I've got my point across, but rules are rules."

Karen Wilkinson, of the Department of Work and Pensions, told the hearing that Ms Moore's benefits were stopped when she skipped a day of the course in October without a valid excuse.

She said: "The decision is not meant to punish anyone, it's meant to save the National Insurance fund and to make sure people are paid correctly and appropriately."

John Bracewell, of the Citizens' Advice Bureau, said a doctor had referred Ms Moore to a specialist to see if she has learning difficulties. He added that she is "gullible" and "incoherent".

He said Ms Moore has since successfully applied for incapacity benefit after being diagnosed with stress, but receives no money as she has never made a National Insurance contribution.

He added: "It does not seem logical to me. What good is it doing to anybody? It's just depriving someone of benefits, it's not enhancing their possibility of getting a job."

Ms Moore, a former Norton College student, shot into the national media spotlight after her situation was highlighted in February.

Because she failed to complete any employment course last year, she was disqualified from receiving benefit eight times beginning in May, initially for two weeks, then for four weeks, and finally 26 weeks.

Updated: 12:09 Wednesday, May 19, 2004