Wieland has made to repay over €26,000 she wrongly claimed between 2021 and 2024
Carrington Walker and Simon Hamalienko Publishing Lead
20:53, 26 Mar 2026
Catherine Wieland(Image: PA)
A woman who falsely claimed she was too unwell to step outside her home managed to extract more than €26,000 in disability benefits, only to be exposed by photographs of herself surfing and ziplining on holiday in Mexico.
Catherine Wieland, 33, was handed a custodial sentence after insisting her anxiety was so debilitating that she had become effectively housebound. Her account unravelled when Department for Work and Pensions investigators uncovered images from her trip abroad that showed her taking part in activities that directly contradicted her claims.
Officials said they also found evidence that Wieland, from Goring-by-Sea in West Sussex, had been surfing in Cancun and had visited Thorpe Park on three separate occasions.
Wieland also enjoyed time on a quadbike(Image: PA)
All of this was done while she claimed tens of thousands of pounds in Personal Independence Payments (Pip) across more than two years. Wieland had also spent money on manicures, tanning sessions and trips to a private Harley Street dentist.
When confronted about her bank statements, she told detectives “I didn’t realise you’re not allowed to leave your house”, despite claiming she was in such poor condition she could not cook or wash herself. Wieland made 76 beauty appointments, visited 60 pubs, clubs and restaurants and spent money in foreign currencies.
After returning from her luxury holiday in Mexico, Wieland even filed a fresh review asserting that her condition had deteriorated. She has since admitted failing to report a change in circumstances and has been ordered to repay the £23,662 she wrongly claimed between 2021 and 2024.
Catherine Wieland (Image: PA)
She received a 28‑week custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months, according to the DWP.
“This is an insult to every hardworking taxpayer and to people who genuinely depend on Pip,” said Andrew Western, a minister in the Department for Work and Pensions.
“Wieland lied repeatedly, milked the system for every penny she could get and then had the nerve to claim her condition was worsening while she was ziplining and surfing in Mexico.
“We are committed to finding those who try to defraud taxpayers, and they will face the consequences.”
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