Labour is to send 2,000 fraud busters into Jobcentres to claw back £1.4billion from benefits cheats

One fraudster collected nearly £39,000 in taxpayers' money while renting out a UK property from Zimbabwe. Chancellor John Healey is expected to announce the crackdown at the Budget, with fraud officials working alongside Work Coaches to identify suspicious Universal Credit claims at an early stage. The project currently employs only 78 staff, a figure set to grow to 2,000 by 2030. Claimants who leave Britain without declaring it will also face stricter checks.

The welfare bill is forecast to rise by £5.5billion next year, coming in £2.2billion over budget.

A Midlands claimant applied for childcare payments while giving a derelict building as their address.

Andy Burnham has rejected 'crude' cuts to welfare spending.