Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, who is responsible for making the decision to stop the payment of benefits to people who are living overseas; what criteria are used to determine when the threshold for that step has been reached; and if she will make a statement.

Certain UK benefits can be paid to individuals residing outside the UK under social security reciprocal agreements. Individuals in receipt of DWP benefits are required to inform the Department for Work and Pensions if their address changes, including if they move to another country, and this is set out in communications to customers. Where individuals have informed the Department of their move abroad, then they are not claiming a benefit fraudulently.

Operational staff have received guidance and training for dealing with cases under these agreements, to ensure that, when individuals inform us of a move to another country, they know how this will impact their benefit entitlement.

In those instances where there is intelligence that a person may not be entitled to a benefit they are receiving, or fails to respond to requests for information to be provided, then the Department can suspend their benefit entitlement pending further investigation. The Department will seek to recover any money claimed fraudulently.