GETTY Some 687 children living in the countries are now being funded by the UK taxpayer

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Claims from the Eastern Europeans working in the UK but sending benefits home have risen from 154 to 446 in five years. A total of 687 children living in the former Soviet bloc countries are now being funded by the UK taxpayer more than £12,584 each week or £655,000 a year. The sum is a small slice of the £27.3million in child benefit which is sent abroad to pay for youngsters in Eastern Europe, according to the latest government figures. As much as £136million of taxpayers’ cash has been shelled out on children not living in Britain over the past five years.

GETTY British child benefits that are now sent abroad amount to £27m

The sums are being drained away despite all three major political parties saying they want to curb EU-bound benefits. Jonathan Isaby, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “This is another example of why universal benefits are almost universally a bad idea.

GETTY Eastern Europeans working in the UK sending benefits home have risen from 154 to 446 in five years

Considering the difference in the cost of living in the UK and some of these other countries, these payments are just absurd. “Welfare should be means tested and set at a level so that it acts as a safety net for those who need it. It cannot be an arbitrary handout at the expense of taxpayers.”

Statistics released under Freedom of Information rules show that most of the cash sent abroad over the past five years – £115.7million – has been paid out to support Polish children living in their homeland while a parent works here. Figures show that the UK taxpayer is even paying for 28 families in Poland where child benefit is being claimed for five or more children.