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 wo

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