§ 4. Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what efforts he is making to encourage the take-up of benefits. [39687]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Social Security (Mr. Andrew Mitchell)The Department is involved in a wide range of national and local initiatives to ensure that accurate and accessible information is available. These are often undertaken in conjunction with local interest and advice groups, including in the hon. Gentleman's constituency.
§ Mr. BanksI am obliged to the Minister. I am as opposed to social security fiddling as anyone in this House, but I am equally opposed to income tax fiddling—some of which takes place not a million miles from this House. Will the Minister explain why, according to the Department, a total of £2.73 billion-worth of benefits went unclaimed in 1992, including £12 million-worth in my borough alone? What is the Minister doing to ensure a proper take-up of social security benefits by those 582 entitled to them? And why do we have figures only for 1992? How much was unclaimed in 1994, and what is the Minister doing about it?
§ Mr. MitchellThe hon. Gentleman should bear in mind the scale of the figures: £9 out of every $10 is claimed. It is the Government's job to provide benefits and to provide information about them. That is done in a variety of ways—including, as I said, in the hon. Gentleman's constituency, where a video has been made to encourage benefit take-up. It was launched in July and I had the opportunity to watch it last weekend. It is helpful and is being requested by benefit offices all over the country. We put information about benefits across in a wide variety of ways and spend about £26 million per year advertising them.