British expats claiming £50m a year in sickness benefits

At least 10,000 British emigrants are receiving sickness benefits of up to £94 a week while living abroad, according to figures published yesterday by the DWP.

The combined total could cost the taxpayer close to £50million a year.

Over the next three years, major changes are being introduced to incapacity benefit, including a tougher medical test for claimants and the re–testing of existing recipients.

But officials have admitted that about 4,000 older recipients of the benefit living in Spain, Jamaica and elsewhere will be able to continue drawing the payment until they reach retirement age.

This is due to a decision by Iain Duncan Smith's Department of Work and Pensions not to retest the entitlement of claimants aged over 60.

Under EU rules the Government is obliged to continue to pay some benefits even when claimants decide to move abroad within Europe.

The deal also includes countries outside the EU including Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Switzerland.

Last month (December 2011) it emerged that expatriate pensioners received about £13.4million a year in winter fuel payments despite many living in much hotter climates than that of Britain.

Even though about 5,800 expatriate sickness benefits claimants will be reassessed, ministers will have to trust the opinions of foreign GPs.

A spokesman for the DWP said those who are genuinely too disabled or ill to work are entitled to the new Employment Support Allowance under EU rules.

If someone from the UK now living abroad has paid enough in National Insurance contributions, he or she can receive contribution-based ESA subject to the same checks as someone living in the UK.
He said: ‘Incapacity Benefit is an outdated benefit which is now closed to new claimants. We are currently reassessing everyone of working age on IB, whether they live in Great Britain or abroad.

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