(Agencies) The British Embassy in Spain has issued a warning to UK benefits recipients travelling to this country for a holiday. The ‘We’re closing in’ Targeting Benefit Thieves Campaign will be running in budget airline flight magazines, at the Eurotunnel and at 15 regional airports throughout the summer and early autumn. “Travelling overseas for any period of time and for whatever reason may affect your benefits>
so check before you go that you are being paid correctly. The message to the fraudsters going abroad is clear, we are on your case and will find you wherever you are,” says Claire Grummet of the Fraud Investigation Service.>
Pension Credit, Income Support and Jobseekers’ Allowance are all affected and you may be committing fraud if you do not alert benefits staff. For more advice contact the office that pays your benefits.
If you live in Spain, you can report suspected benefit thieves to the Spanish Benefit Fraud Hotline on 900 554 440 or log on to: www.dwp.gov.uk/benefit-thieves-spain.
Last year, benefit fraud abroad cost UK taxpayers an estimated £44 million. This summer people flying off for a holiday or a longer stay abroad will get a reminder to think again before claiming benefits they aren’t entitled to.
JimenaPulse 
Lets hope they catch the real benefit thieves and don’t bully the unfortunate. My brother was made redundant after 25 years and was unemployed for six months. During this time, he flew out to Spain to attend his brother-in-laws funeral and stayed on for 10 days to support us and help us out. Being an honest soul, he told the benefits office with the result that they refused to pay him. The knock on effect was that his insurance company then refused to pay under his mortgage protection policy!