Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many United Kingdom nationals who have returned from fighting for Islamic State in either Iraq, Syria, or both, or are currently believed to be fighting for Islamic State in those countries, were or are in receipt of state benefits whilst abroad.

The information is not available. In order to be eligible to receive state benefits, eligibility conditions usually require a claimant to be resident in the United Kingdom. We have strict rules that are designed to prevent people taking inappropriate advantage of our benefit system to protect the taxpayer and the benefit system from possible abuse.

Claimants are required to tell DWP if they leave the country to travel abroad. If they move overseas without informing the Department then we investigate and can stop benefit payments.