Ellis Matthews, 32, who previously appeared on Judge Rinder, posts videos on her ‘mumontheruninasia’ TikTok where she explains how she claims British benefits while living in Thailand
A British mum who gained notoriety on TikTok where she shared tips on how to claim benefits while living abroad has been detained in Thailand.
Ellis Matthews, 32, originally from Bamber Bridge, Lancashire, said she has been jailed in the South East Asian country following a police raid on her Pattaya home. Matthews previously appeared on the reality TV show Judge Rinder after she reportedly squandered £6 million and has gained more than 16,500 followers on TikTok where she posts explainers on how her £2,300 per-month lifestyle is funded by British taxpayers.
The mum said she does not miss her older children she left in the UK and has claimed to view them as “surrogacies,” and now lives in a one-bedroom bungalow with her son Cairo, 3. Many of the posts shared to her @mumontheruninasia account claimed to get £2,300 in benefits due to having ‘six mental health disorders’.
Despite having a following of a few thousand, her TikTok videos have regularly racked up tens of thousands of views. Her most-viewed clip about paying rent in Thailand was shared on February 28 this year.
In another clip, Matthews explained how she got benefits while living in Thailand. She said: “I am diagnosed with around six mental disorders that without in-house treatment, without me being put into a hospital for a minimum of one year, my prognosis is quite poor therefore I need ongoing treatment costs to be met by the NHS by the taxpayer, thank you very much.”
Matthews said she is now inside a detention centre in the country with one photo shared to TikTok showing bleak conditions inside the facility. Referencing her youngest son, Matthews wrote: “I don’t care about me but please pray for my son.”
She claimed to have been detained for overstaying her visa. People who overstay their tourism visa in Thailand are fined an estimated £11.40 each day they overspend in the country, reports MailOnline.
A GoFundMe has been set up for Matthews and has managed to raise £155 out of a £1,500 target. The fundraiser, organised by Kama Clark, added: “Keeping it short but will update funds needed to support Mum On the run and Cairo this was suggested by many and myself have taken the choice to set this up without her permission & request of others on TikTok.”
The UK Government website says a British citizen may still be able to claim some benefits even if they travel or move abroad, or even if they already live abroad. But there there are several instances where it is classified as fraud if you have benefits paid to you while abroad, which can include.
- Not telling office that pays your benefit you’re going abroad, even if it’s just for a visit
- Deliberately not reporting a change in your circumstances while abroad, like buying a property, working, or claiming a pension or benefit from another country
- Being dishonest in order to get benefits, like continuing to claim the pension or benefit of someone who has died overseas
To visit the GoFundMe page, click here. The Mirror has contacted Matthews for comment via her TikTok account.
