A spot check of who actually lives at 12,000 addresses throughout the Netherlands has found 4,800 cases of potential fraud, home affairs minister Ronald Plasterk told parliament on Tuesday.

The crackdown has saved the treasury €7m-€14m in student grants, child benefit and other fraud because people were not living where they said they were, the minister said in his briefing. In addition, local council officials have been able to stop illegal sub-letting and over-occupancy.

The project will now be expanded across more local authority areas for at least the next eight years, Plasterk said.

Everyone living in the Netherlands is required by law to register their address at their local council.