Copyright bbc
HMRC began a large-scale crackdown on child benefit fraud in September after a trial involving a small team saw £17m saved over less than 12 months. The new system allows HMRC records to be compared with Home Office international travel data. Claimants who are outside the UK for more than eight weeks will generally not be eligible for child benefit unless there are exceptional circumstances. However, the Edwards' holiday lasted just a week. Their passports were stamped on entry and exit at Lanarka International Airport in Cyprus and scanned through the e-gate system on returning to Britain in early May. Five months later, their child benefit payments were suspended and they received a letter to that effect, but even that contained errors, Mrs Edwards said.
