Michelmas

As the title implies. About time too I think.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12081634

Sue

The article stated that "'abroad fraud' cost the taxpayer about £66m last year." I often read random comments from people with the misplaced belief that the UK is over following with benefit claiming immigrants. I wouldn't be surprised if the amount of "abroad fraud" was the greater offender

Giantaxe

£66m is a tiny amount compared with the total welfare budget. I suspect that NHS fraud from non-residents returning for treatment is far higher.

fatbrit

Precisely! Political posturing on a non-issue by the look of it.

Sally Redux

I agree they should crack down on the fraud but I'll believe it when I see it.

robin1234

I wish the UK would increase the amount of the Winter Fuel Payment though... it doesn't go very far this year, with the price of fuel oil here in the northeast.

Michelmas

I also agree with you and Fatbrit, political posturing, but I would expect the returns to be far less than predicted if something actually does get done about it.

Lothianlad

If the Conservatives had won the recent General Election outright, and with a decisive majority, then there would be no doubt at all that this massive problem of benefit fraud, of all kinds, in the UK would have been tackled head on right from the word go, no messing, no half measures, as the last (Labour ) Governent had done zilch all about it in spite of their meaningless weasel words concerning a "need to deal with it"! The fact is, the Labour Government had all but encouraged the misuse of public funds in this country in too many ways.

Sadly the Conservatives did no get an overall majority, as you well know, and the fact that they are now in co-alition with the Liberal Democrats means that they are having to compromise in so many ways - their wings are clipped by this, and with the aid of the more limp wristed of the Liberal Democrats it could well be that the ever so necessary steps to bring out positive results in preventing widespread fraud, and even administrative errors in the running of the whole very complicated benefits system here in the UK, will end up being far less effective than would otherwise be the case.

All the decent, hardworking taxpayers of the UK are peed off to the back teeth with so much of their money ending up in the wrong hands of the wrong people!

Thydney

More tory bollox they waste more on stupid costing exercises When I was in the US I actually got one benefit and it was legitimate because I told them all about my move etc so not all claimants are fiddling.

dunroving

Just out of curiosity, what sorts of UK benefits can you get legitimately if you are living overseas?

Thydney

incapacity as was

dunroving

Wow, I didn't know that was possible (I'm genuinely interested in the rules and regs, not making any judgements).

Thydney

TBH you and me both lol but it may have been the circumstances of the award which shall remain private

hobbes79

Presumably if the criminal moves somewhere overcast, it's alright?

Complete posturing.

Sally Redux

There was a thread in the Europe forum yesterday, it seems quite a lot of people in Spain are on incapacity/disability allowance and it is permitted.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=561437