Financial hardship is no excuse for claiming benefits you are not entitled to, benefit officials have warned, as they encourage Brits who suspect a fraudster to call the hotline in Spain.

Whether you live in Spain or the UK there’s no avoiding the current economic crisis but taxpayers’ money should go to those who need it most, not to a small percentage of Brits who have chosen to fund a life in Spain at the UK taxpayer’s expense.

Call the benefit fraud hotline 900 554 440

That’s why the Department for Work and Pensions is promoting the benefit fraud hotline in Spain – and asking people who suspect they know a cheat to call 900 554 440.

The vast majority of people who claim benefits do so honestly and are sick and tired of putting up with the small minority who don’t. The benefit fraud hotline in Spain is there so that people can do their bit to make sure something is done about the small percentage of fraudsters. Shockingly, it’s estimated that benefit fraud abroad costs UK taxpayers 43 million pounds per year - and Spain ranks as one of the top destinations for benefit thieves.

One rogue claimant who wrongly thought Spain was a safe haven to commit benefit fraud was Ronald Bunce. He had been claiming Income Support and Housing and Council Tax benefit since 1991 however a change in his circumstances in 2007 and his failure to declare these changes meant he eventually fell foul of the law.

An anonymous allegation led Work and Pensions investigators to discover that Mr. Bunce was not quite as strapped for cash as he made out. In 2007, following the death of his mother in 2004, he sold her property in Ealing, west London, for a handsome sum of £350,000 but failed to declare his newfound wealth to benefit officials. Further investigations revealed that he went on to buy a quarter of a million pound property in the UK, as well as a Spanish villa complete with swimming pool in the Mazarrón area of Murcia, which he was renting out to holidaymakers for as much as €500 per week.

Not only was Mr. Bunce stealing from the British taxpayer since the change in his circumstances in 2007, but on top of that he had selfishly been using his council property for storage purposes, depriving another family really in need of housing.

In April Mr. Bunce was sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court in London to an immediate nine months’ in prison for his actions to defraud the public purse.

There are probably many more cases like this out there. That’s why Department for Work and Pensions is asking anyone who suspects others of committing benefit fraud whilst living in Spain to call the free and confidential Benefit Fraud hotline in Spain on 900 554 440 or submit a report online at: https://secure.dwp.gov.uk/benefitfraud/ .

The system is completely anonymous and you don’t need to give your name and details, but the more information you can give about the alleged fraudster, the easier it is for officials to identify the person and investigate the case.

Benefit fraud includes someone claiming a benefit which is only available to UK residents, such as income support or pension credit, or someone claiming a benefit as a single person but living with a partner. You can find more information on benefits and which ones can and cannot be received whilst living in Spain at www.direct.gov.uk.

Has he paid the money that he fiddled back?

You mean like bankers and LOCOG?

Well, that's the problem with giveaways: people take them.

Absolutley , hows poor old Jim Diamonte and his cronies supposed to survive on their measley bonus`s?

Come the day of the revolution brother..............

43 million pounds.
And for that piddling small amount they are asking people to snitch on their friends.

Personally I believe any kind of fraud is theft and should be dealt with accordingly, but when Merv hands over £350 billion of taxpayer money to a bunch of speculators, then our honourable leader DC offers a blank check (currently estimated to be around £12.3 Billion) to a bunch of troughers led by "Lord" Coe & co, then this request to shop thy neighbour just makes me despair over what GB has become.

Well, I reckon that even if you're straight as an arrow doing everything exactly by the book, the first time some jealous neighbour decides they don't like something about you, then they'll just call the hotline and send you into months of legal mumbo-jumbo that will cost you a fortune and drag your name through the mud, only to find out you've been a very good boy. But surely would result in the delight of your jealous neighbour, regardless of the outcome.

Nice system. Does it work for our Spanish neighbours who I suspect all collect unemployment benefits but make all their money black? I really like them all, but I'm very petty and jealous and would like to destroy their lives.

Take it you are all on benefit then bet a few were crapping themselves when they read they read the OP

"British Embassy, Madrid - Promoting British Interests in Spain with Commitment, Consistency and Confidence."

Aww, how sweet !!! I haven't noticed that little strapline before, is it new?

what a dumb post.

I think we have sussed one out............who has since resigned................

Yep , another two faced dispicable little ***te

Perhaps, but in Germany, people do it all the time if they don't like you for some reason. And there's lots of reasons to dislike your neighbour.

Maybe they have friends over for dinner and drinks and are obviously laughing and having fun, or maybe their kids go to the "advanced" school, or perhaps they bought a brand new audi. What about that new sunroom you just installed? There's always plenty of fodder for jealousy. Such hotlines are an ideal solution for the self-rightious. In fact it's the basis of a few German jokes... "Hey, I love your new car... be careful, your neighbour will call the hotline...".

I'd like to report tax evasion. Vodafone pay almost no tax in the UK each year and still owe £6 billion, almost the same amount we have spent on the Olympics. In addition I'd like to report 98 of the FTSE 100 companies in the UK, none pay tax.... none of the 98 pay tax, they evade tax, don't pay their way.

This is just a provisional list, I'll get back to you with some more names and I might even let you have the names of friends who evade tax, work under the radar, only take cash in hand and work while being paid benefits but not until you sort out the guys who are actually screwing the country to the wall..... OK?

Wasn't there once a discussion on here about reporting ex-pats for not paying taxes in Spain, running UK cars etc etc. I think some said they would report them...whats the difference