The UK government has announced a major crackdown on child benefit payments being claimed by individuals living abroad, with a specialist team of over 200 investigators set to launch from next month. The initiative is expected to save £350 million over the next five years by blocking payments to tens of thousands of people who are incorrectly receiving benefits while overseas.
Under the new rules, claimants who have left the UK for more than eight weeks will be ineligible for child benefit unless they meet exceptional circumstances, such as a family death or medical treatment, which allow for up to 12 weeks of continued payments. The crackdown will use border control data from the Home Office alongside HMRC payment figures to identify those who have left the country.
Child benefit is one of the most widely accessed benefits in the UK, with over 6.9 million families receiving payments for 11.9 million children. The current rate is £25.05 per week for the eldest child and £17.25 for each additional child. The government estimates that benefit fraud led to £6.5 billion in overpayments between April 2024 and April 2025.
A pilot scheme involving 15 investigators removed 2,600 people from the child benefit system and saved £17 million in under a year. Cabinet Office Minister Georgia Gould stated, “This government is putting a stop to people claiming benefits when they aren’t eligible to do so. If you’re claiming benefits you’re not entitled to, your time is up.”
Exceptions apply to those who moved to EU countries, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein before 2021 if they are employed and paying UK National Insurance, as well as those in countries with social security agreements like Barbados, Canada, and Ireland. Crown servants are also exempt. The government emphasised that genuine mistakes will be treated as such, and every case will be reviewed by a human investigator before any action is taken.
