§ Mr. Alexander W. Lyonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons, and in which areas, have been refused supplementary benefit whilst unemployed in accordance with the measures announced on 25th July, 1968.
§ Mr. EnnalsFigures are available from October, 1968. Since then, allowances limited at the outset to four weeks have been awarded in respect of some 111,000 claims from unemployed men, and a further 8,000 claims have been curtailed on review after about three months unemployment. The majority of men find work within this period: 3,200 allowances were extended at the end of the four weeks following a review of the circumstances. These measures do not operate in areas of high unemployment such as Scotland, Wales and Northern Region. Elsewhere the totals for each of the Department's administrative regions are as follows:
Yorkshire and Humberside 13,700 East Midlands and East Anglia 15,700 London North 13,900 London South 18,800 London West 21,700 South Western 10,100 West Midlands 11,500 North Western (Manchester) 9,400 North Western (Merseyside) 4,100
§ Mr. Alexander W. Lyonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many special investigators are now employed by his Department to detect fraudulent claims; and what is the annual cost of employing them.
§ Mr. EnnalsThe present strength of special investigators is 196. The annual cost of employing them is approximately £500,000.
§ Mr. Alexander W. Lyonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how 21W much money has been saved in the period since 25th July, 1968, by the employment of special investigators into allegedly false claims.
§ Mr. EnnalsAn estimate of savings for the past two calendar years is:
1968 … … £1,250,000 1969 … … £1,400,000
§ Mr. Alexander W. Lyonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many unemployed married men have had their supplementary benefits refused in accordance with the measures announced on 25th July, 1968, in each month since that date.
§ Mr. EnnalsI regret that this figure is not known. In areas where there are good employment opportunities, claims from married men who are fit and under the age of 45 are reviewed after their allowances have been in payment for three months. If it appears that a little more effort would get such a man into work he may be warned that his allowance may not be continued for longer than a further four weeks. Allowances are not terminated where there are dependants who would suffer hardship. If an allowance is withdrawn there is a right of appeal to a Tribunal.
These arrangements apply also to fit single men under age 45, who are registered for skilled work. Taking both groups together, about 500 allowances a month are withdrawn under these arrangements. My hon. Friend will realise from what I have said that the arrangement announced by my right hon. Friend, the then Minister of Social Security, under which certain men have their allowances restricted to four weeks from their first claims, applies only to unskilled men who are single.—[OFFICIAL REPORT, Vol. 769, c.213–4.]