HC Deb 15 March 1982 vol 20 c20W
Mr. Jim Marshall

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how frequently during the last 12 months his Department has used immigration information to establish the legitimacy of a claim for benefit.

Mr. Newton

When it is necessary to obtain information about a claimant's immigration status in order to determine his entitlement to supplementary benefit, such information can be obtained from the claimant's passport or, if necessary, direct from the immigration authorities. A record is not kept of the number of occasions on which such information is used to establish entitlement.