The Department for Work and Pensions has announced it will be putting £510m towards tackling benefit fraud.

The plans will include 2,000 trained specialists to review claims by carrying out property checks, following up earning declarations of self-employed claimants and cross-checking bank details.

Thérèse Coffey, Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions, said: “Investing in measures to fight fraud protects honest taxpayers’ money and stops criminals funding their illicit activities off the back of our welfare system.

“We know the characteristics of a suspicious claim. This half a billion-pound cash injection is a clear message to fraudsters and criminal gangs: Anyone trying to con us will get caught out.”

A recent case handled by the counter-fraud team supported a high value fraud bust with police in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Operation Iggy was a sting on a woman who had made 14 Universal Credit claims using false identity documents for a total of £270,000.

She was arrested, with the false documents found in her house, and sentenced to 30 months in prison, with DWP now recovering the money.