HC Deb 25 June 1984 vol 62 c357W
Mrs. Beckett

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the cost of the press advertisements in March inviting people to claim repayment of voluntary unemployment deductions wrongfully made; how many payments have been made as a result; and what is the total amount of those payments.

Dr. Boyson

The March publicity campaign cost £99,000. By 5 June this had resulted in 182 payments totalling £3,790.

Mrs. Beckett

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) in view of the low response to his publicity campaigns what further steps he proposes to take to trace former supplementary benefit claimants whose benefit was wrongly reduced on grounds of voluntary unemployment;

(2) if he will extend until further notice the instructions to local offices not to destroy files of former unemployed supplementary benefit claimants so that additional measures can be taken to trace those to whom repayments of voluntary unemployment deductions are due.

Dr. Boyson

Local offices are retaining old supplementary benefit files until further notice. No new departmental initiatives are planned in order to trace former claimants from whose supplementary benefits money may have been wrongly deducted on grounds of voluntary unemployment.

Mrs. Beckett

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the number of people whose supplementary benefit records are still in existence and who are owed money as a result of wrongful voluntary unemployment deductions.

Dr. Boyson

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

Mr. Boyes

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claims for repayment of money wrongly deducted from supplementary benefit on grounds of voluntary unemployment have been received by local offices of his Department at Sunderland and Washington and Houghton as a result of the advertising campaign in March; how many payments have resulted from these claims; and how many such payments had been made prior to the advertising campaign as a result of the check of current files and the publicity for dormant cases, respectively.

Dr. Boyson

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.