THE amount of benefits cash stolen by fraudsters who pretend to be single hit £1.1billion last year, analysis reveals.
Single swindlers raked in the equivalent of £3.1million a day of taxpayer cash.
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Hundreds of benefits claimants have been caught keeping partners secret, often for years, after moving in together.
They can get around £2,000 a year more than an honest pair who tell the Department for Work and Pensions they live together.
But household income rules mean the real figure is often as high as £10,000 as, by pretending to be single, the working partner can keep their entire wage and avoid “tapering” rules.
Fraudsters will often fake a tenancy agreement for a second address to misdirect investigators.
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The swindle accounted for almost 17p of every £1 claimed by fraud across the welfare state last year, our analysis of DWP statistics shows.
MP Sir Alec Shelbrooke said the benefits system “needs a complete overhaul”.
The DWP said it is tackling fraud and error in the system, which it said is at its lowest rate since the pandemic.
They said: “We are determined to tackle fraud and error in the system, and at just 3.2 per cent, the overall rate of fraud and error is at its lowest since the pandemic.
“Our new Fraud Act gives us tough new powers to go after cheats and claw back taxpayers’ money – including accessing new data from banks to help find incorrect payments.”
