MIGRANTS claim £1.4million a month in child benefit for kids living ABROAD, shocking new figures show.
The cash is given to 18,000 workers from new EU countries, without any checks on if the children actually exist. The number of East Europeans pocketing the handout soared by almost a third in just three months, the latest figures show.
In September there were 16,286 Polish immigrants and 1,800 others getting the money for kids living abroad – 4,000 more than in July.
The migrants can claim £18.10 a week for their first child and £12.10 for every other. If each person claims for one child the annual bill would be almost £17million.But it could be double that, as many claim for two or more.
Shadow Treasury Chief Secretary Philip Hammond said: “About 3.8million British children are living in poverty yet Gordon Brown is siphoning off more than £320,000 per week to children abroad.”
HM Revenues and Customs said: “Under EU rules, an EU national working and paying compulsory contributions in one EU country can claim child benefits for their family resident in another.”
But Britain wants talks with Poland over the number of its citizens here who claim the cash.
