Former benefit fraud convict Tsvetka Todorova now receiving Universal Credit

Tsvetka Todorova, a 54-year-old Bulgarian, was convicted in 2024 for participating in a £54 million Universal Credit fraud that funded luxury purchases for a group of five. She received a three-year prison sentence in May 2024 and was released after serving half of it in late 2025. At a confiscation hearing in January, she was ordered to repay a sum exceeding £100,000, but to date has returned only a small portion.

Todorova claims she has been living in the UK on benefits since the end of December, relying on her husband’s Universal Credit payment of more than £1,000 per month. She has described both herself and her husband as suffering from depression and health issues. Officials warn she remains at risk of deportation and could be returned to prison for failing to meet the repayment order.