A UK woman who claimed that hip pain left her unable to walk, drive or work has been ordered to pay more than 6,000 after admitting to fraudulently claiming Statutory Sick Pay while working for other clients and running her own body-piercing business. Claire Hopkinson, a resident of Telford, Shropshire, submitted false medical fitness certificates, WhatsApp messages and emails to support her claims that she could not perform her duties as a personal carer. However, an investigation by Telford & Wrekin Council uncovered evidence that she was working as a personal assistant for two other individuals through a private care company. Investigators also found that she had fabricated claims about hospital stays and undergoing a hip replacement operation. She pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation on December 1, 2025.
According to Telford & Wrekin Council, Hopkinson fraudulently claimed Statutory Sick Pay between March 28, 2024, and October 28, 2024, while employed as a privately employed personal carer.During this period, she submitted medical fitness certificates, commonly known as fit notes, alongside WhatsApp messages and emails claiming that hip pain prevented her from working.She alleged that she could not walk, drive or perform her duties as a personal assistant. However, investigators discovered that she was working for two other individuals through a private care company while also operating her own local...
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