'Single' benefit swindlers who pocketed £3m a day

"SINGLE swindlers" who claim to be living on their own to be eligible for benefits like Universal Credit pocketed a record £3.3million a day on average last year.

- By Matthew Davis

Officials say that when a couple live together, both their incomes have to be assessed before deciding how much benefit is due to them.

But hundreds keep their partner secret and claim to be living alone to ensure their benefits carry on being paid after they move in together.

Investigators, who have begun using social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X to gain crucial evidence in cases to show that people are living together, appear to be losing the battle with £1.21billion scammed last year.