Benefits payments sent to 20 foreign countries due to fraud

By James Kirkup, Political Correspondent Published: 11:00PM GMT twenty-three February 2010

The fake payments are piece of some-more than �1 billion paid out to bootleg claimants each year.

People claiming benefits in Britain who move abroad are, in majority cases, no longer authorised for payments. However, claiming manners can put the shortcoming on them to surprise the Department of Work and Pensions about their move so good can be stopped.

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In a created parliamentary answer, the DWP suggested that "recent investigations" have identified justification of benefits payments fraudulently going abroad in 51 cases.

The countries where fake payments were rescued were: Australia; Austria; Bahrain; Bulgaria; Canada; Cyprus; Eire; France; Greece; Holland; India; Italy; New Zealand; Pakistan; Portugal; South Africa; Spain; Thailand; Trinidad and Tobago; and the US.

The DWP was incompetent to contend how majority income had been sent abroad as a outcome of fraud.

The DWP disclosed in Nov that rascal and blunder in the benefits complement cost �3 billion in 2008/09. Around �1.1 billion of over payments were estimated to be due to fraud.

Mark Harper, the Conservative shade benefits apportion pronounced the avowal valid Labour is mismanaging the gratification system.

He said: "This is nonetheless some-more justification if any was indispensable that the supervision has lost finish carry out of the benefits system. Hard operative members of the open will be bewildered that the so easy to fool around the system.

"Serious questions need to be asked. How prolonged has this been going on for and how majority income has Labour lost? And majority importantly how is Labour going to get a hold of the problem?

Jonathan Shaw, the benefits minister, pronounced the Government was rebellious the complaint of abroad rascal by reminding people to register when they leave the country.

He said: "UK nationals can, in sure circumstances, go on to embrace a little benefits whilst abroad, others will stop immediately. The Department for Work and Pensions is reminding people in the ultimate targeting rascal debate and in leaflets, of their shortcoming to discuss it us if they are going abroad."