Woman turned away from UK-Italy flight due to ill child has benefit stopped

Thousands of people have had child benefits cut in similar circumstances as part of a crackdown on fraud, launched by Cabinet Office minister Georgia Gould. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

A woman has had her child benefit stopped after booking a holiday to Italy because HMRC inferred she had emigrated – even though she and her family did not board the flight.

Sally, her three children and her partner were going on holiday to Italy last July, but were refused boarding after one of the children had an epileptic seizure at the departure gate.