A Bulgarian woman convicted for her part in the largest welfare fraud in British history has been ordered to repay every penny of the benefits she claimed after being released from prison. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) launched a swift review following a Daily Mail investigation that revealed she was once again receiving state support.
The £54 Million Fraud and a Brazen Return to Benefits
Tsvetka Todorova, 54, was sentenced to three years in prison in May 2024 for her involvement in a sophisticated conspiracy that systematically plundered the UK's benefits system. The gang, which hijacked an estimated 6,000 identities, fraudulently obtained more than £54 million through false Universal Credit claims over four and a half years.
Despite this, the Mail found that upon her release, Todorova returned to her rented home in Erith, south-east London, and successfully signed on to Universal Credit. She stated that she received around £200 a month, while her husband, who she says has no connection to the case, claims approximately £1,300 monthly.
In a defiant interview from her London flat, Todorova vowed not to repay any money. She boasted about a two-bedroom house in Bulgaria, valued by prosecutors at £90,000, which she said authorities "can't touch" as it is jointly owned with her husband. "We go there for vacation," she remarked when asked about its use.
Gang Members' Lifestyle and Ongoing Confiscation Battle
The DWP's review concluded that Todorova must repay all benefits received since her release. She confirmed she had been notified of the review, claiming it left her "very stressed," and said she needed money for dental work. Todorova, who previously described her prison term as "like a vacation," now claims to be "depressed" and suffering from high blood pressure due to the case.
Other members of the fraud ring are also free on immigration bail, awaiting deportation once confiscation proceedings end. Notably, fellow conspirator Patritsia Paneva, 28, is described by neighbours as spending her days smoking and wearing a dressing gown at her east London home. The gang operated from three London-based "benefit factories," producing forged documents to trick the DWP.
Prosecutors have so far secured confiscation orders totalling around £1 million against three gang members, with efforts ongoing to recover a further £1 million—a fraction of the total stolen. Gareth Munday, prosecuting, explained the sums sought reflect what could be "realistically traced," with one member admitting to moving "money in cash overseas."
No Apology and a Question of Future Entitlement
Todorova has rejected any opportunity to apologise, instead maintaining her innocence despite having pleaded guilty. "I was only helping. They have made a mistake with me," she insisted. She believes she will remain in Britain, stating, "They cannot push me. They cannot force me."
The case raises significant questions about whether convicted benefit cheats should ever be permitted to claim welfare again after serving their sentences. A Government spokesperson stated: "When someone is convicted of benefit fraud, a loss of benefit is applied to any future claims." The fraud was ultimately uncovered after a tip-off from a Bulgarian police officer about suspicious cash flows in the city of Sliven.
