𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Rachel Reeves will extend a crackdown on benefit fraud in a bid to raise £1.2 billion as she seeks to balance the books in the Budget this week.

It comes as she is expected to scrap the two-child benefit cap, in a move that could cost more than £3 billion.

The Chancellor is also thought to be poised to raise taxes in an effort to bridge a multibillion-pound gap in her spending plans.

She will extending targeted case reviews, which root out inaccuracies in universal credit claims, with the aim of bringing in an extra £1.2 billion by March 2031.

She could also hit more than 100,000 high-value properties with a levy that applies to those worth more than £2 million and could raise £400-£450 million, The Times reported.

Some 2.4 million properties in the top three council tax bands would be revalued to determine which would be subject to the surcharge.

People will be able to defer the cost until they die or move house to avoid forcing them to sell up, according to the newspaper.