- The UK government is launching a major crackdown on child benefit fraud, targeting claimants who continue to receive payments after leaving the country.
- From next month, a 200-person team will use travel data to identify those abroad for more than eight weeks without valid exemption.
- The move follows a successful pilot that saved £17 million and is expected to save £350 million over five years.
- The government is also reviewing other overseas benefit claims as part of wider fraud prevention efforts.
The UK government is stepping up efforts to tackle benefit fraud, with a new focus on child benefit payments made to people who have left the country. Starting next month, a specialist team of over 200 investigators will use travel data to identify claimants who are no longer eligible — particularly those who’ve been abroad for more than eight weeks.
The crackdown follows a pilot programme that matched child benefit records with international travel data. In less than a year, a small team of 15 investigators stopped £17 million in incorrect payments to 2,600 individuals. Now, the government is scaling up the operation, aiming to save £350 million over the next five years.
Child benefit is one of the UK’s most widely accessed support schemes, paid to more than 6.9 million families. It provides £26.05 per week for the eldest child and £17.25 for each additional child. But under current rules, claimants must inform HMRC if they leave the UK for more than eight weeks — unless they’re abroad for medical treatment or bereavement, which allows up to 12 weeks.
The government says the new initiative isn’t just about enforcement — it’s also about raising awareness. Many people may not realise that extended travel can affect their eligibility, and the hope is that clearer communication will prevent accidental fraud.
Officials are also reviewing other benefits claimed from overseas, with plans to expand the use of data-matching tools to identify potential misuse. While the amounts involved per person are often small, the cumulative cost is significant. In 2024/25 alone, benefit fraud and overpayments cost the UK an estimated £6.5 billion — about 2.2% of total benefit spending.
For now, the message is clear: if you’re claiming child benefit while living abroad, you may be flagged — and the government is watching more closely than ever.
