Tsvetka Todorova, 38, was part of a gang that made more than 6,000 bogus claims to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and swindled £54million from the taxpayer
Bulgarian national Tsvetka Todorova helped swindle £54million from the Department for Work and Pensions, or DWP(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
A migrant imprisoned over Britain’s largest ever benefit fraud is now claiming Universal Credit once more following early release from jail. Tsvetka Todorova, a Bulgarian national, was part of a criminal operation that defrauded the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) of £54million.
The scam involved her gang submitting over 6,000 fraudulent claims. The stolen funds bankrolled their extravagant lifestyles, and the group—including Todorova—received combined prison sentences totalling 25 years after pleading guilty to fraud and money laundering charges.
However, the entire gang—comprising Galina Nikolova, 40, Stoyan Stoyanov, 29, and Patritsia Paneva, 28—has now been freed and are awaiting deportation.
Todorova has gone back to her London residence where she’s understood to be collecting £1,300 monthly in benefits from the Government.
She’s vowed to resist any deportation efforts to send her back to Bulgaria, insisting she “loves” life in the UK, reports Birmingham Live.
Speaking to the Mail Online, she said: “I do not want to leave Britain. My family is here. I love it here, it is good and has helped me.
“I’ve been back on benefits since December 30. My benefits account was closed, now it is opening again.”
Todorova also allegedly bragged about her time behind bars as a “vacation”. She said: “My husband is depressed. I am depressed as well. I had high blood pressure because of the case.”
The criminal network was mandated to repay merely £2million of their ill-gotten gains—roughly one per cent of what was stolen. Following the revelation of her release and return to Universal Credit, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) felt compelled to comment on the situation.
A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions stated: “We take all fraud seriously. Last year we saved an estimated £25bn through our prevention and detection activities.
“In this case, action is ongoing to recover further money.”
