An Interesting Story That Matters To Us

Passerby

https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/hundreds-of-families-in-north-have-benefits-stopped-after-flying-home-through-dublin-airport-I5BVOO7RTRBKHBIPUYJMQIPDIY/#:~:text=The%20blunder%20happened%20as%20a,has%20apologised%20to%20those%20impacted.

"The anti-fraud scheme means that those who leave the UK and do not return within eight weeks are marked as potentially having emigrated and as a result no longer entitled to receive benefits in the UK."

Does this mean the DWP has passed the details of all benefit recipients on to all UK airports and the HMRC?

jonf

big brother is always watching

Chris75_

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/oct/26/ni-parents-caught-in-uk-crackdown-lose-child-benefit-after-travelling-via-dublin

In the above article, it describes how a family from NI went on holiday to England, and flew back to Dublin. Alot of NI residents use Dublin, as it can be cheaper and indeed more convenient than Belfast.

Some time later, the family received notice that their Child Benefit had been stopped, as they had apparently left the UK and not returned within 8 weeks, therefore it was assumed they had emigrated.

The fact that they flew back to Dubllin and that there are no border checks ( for good reason) between the Republic of Ireland and NI; it meant their return from England was never registered.