Why is Shannon Mathews mum being charged with benefit fraud?
If you belive the Sun Then – THE shameless mum of Shannon Matthews has been raking in nearly £400 a week by cheating on benefits, The Sun can reveal. Karen Matthews, 32 – accused over the abduction of her nine-year-old daughter – told officials she was looking after four of her seven children on her own. But at the time that Shannon vanished for 24 days in February, she had been living for four years with her supermarket fishmonger boyfriend Craig Meehan, 22. He has been earning around £16,000 a year. Meehan had bragged at the time of Shannon’s disappearance: “I earn the money. I put the food on the table.” He was dumped by Karen following his arrest on child porn charges. Government officials were last night trying to work out exactly how much Matthews had claimed in the scam. The family own a widescreen television and had bought two computers. Social workers had given them a third for Matthews’ eleven-year-old son. Matthews is facing trial accused of perverting the course of justice
