Fury as benefit cheats handed £4.3million of your money every week while swapping UK for sun loungers abroad

BENEFIT fraudsters are getting £4.3million in taxpayer-funded handouts a week while swapping Britain for sun loungers abroad. Sun on Sunday analysis shows hard-working families are unknowingly bankrolling scroungers pretending they are still living in Britain. Benefits cheats are getting millions in taxpayer-funded handouts a week while swapping Britain for sun loungers abroad Credit: Getty Sun on Sunday analysis shows hard-working families are unknowingly bankrolling scroungers pretending they are still living in Britain Credit: Getty The fraud means claimants stay on fully funded British benefits despite living in foreign destinations, including sun-soaked holiday resorts. The Department for Work and Pensions’ estimated figures reveal £226million was lost in the year to March because of abroad fraud. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Of the total fraud, £103million is from bogus Universal Credit claims, £67million from dodgy expats on Pension Credit, £29million of Housing Benefit claims, and £27million wrongly received for Personal Independence Payments. Around 2,000 are also legally claiming PIP despite living abroad full-time under treaty deals with European Economic Area nations. Read More on Benefit cheats Benefit claimants are legally required to inform the DWP if they intend to leave the UK for an extended period. Brits can stay on full benefits like PIP for up to 13 weeks at a time while out of the country. However, being away any longer means claimants have an obligation to inform the DWP, with their payments paused until their return. New PM Andy Burnham was last night urged to crack down on the fraud. Most read in The Sun Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: “This could be cut down if the DWP brought back face-to-face meetings. People on benefits like Universal Credit should be looking for work.” A DWP spokesman said: “We’re determined to crack down on fraud. Our latest figures show us fraud and error has fallen by a quarter since its 2022 peak. We will leave no stone unturned.” 1 comment1