§ Mr. RendelTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans her Department has to tackle benefit fraud in the London Borough of Hackney. [38409]
§ Mr. DenhamThe Department has a wide range of measures in place for tackling benefit fraud nationwide, including in Hackney. We have set out in the Green Paper "A New Contract for Welfare" our three pronged approach to fraud consisting of improved detection, more effective deterrence, and better prevention. To that end we are reviewing our strategic objectives governing counter fraud work, and we expect to be in a position to announce the outcome of the Review shortly.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much housing benefit fraud has been detected in the London boroughs of (i) Hackney, (ii) Islington, (iii) Lambeth and (iv) Southwark; what is the estimated level of undetected housing benefit fraud in each borough; and what are the averages for fraud(a) detected and (b) undetected in Inner London boroughs. [38236]
§ Mr. DenhamThe information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table.
393W
Total weekly benefit savings claimed in respect of Housing Benefit Fraud in the London Boroughs of Hackney, Islington, Lambeth and Southwark £ Year 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 Hackney 1,430,361 2,578,064 3,169,833 ⋆4,143,503 Islington 590,141 2,789,116 3,880.685 3,847,251 Lambeth 938,690 ⋆3,374,674 ⋆3,395,282 n/a Southwark 623,957 1,410,541 2,872,114 ⋆2,681,445
Identified incorrect payments of housing benefit due to established fraud in the London boroughs of Hackney, Islington, Lambeth and Southwark £ Year 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 Hackney 366,008 927,374 2,659,693 ⋆3,707,881 Islington 440,355 381,667 283,758 ⋆225,035 Lambeth ⋆1,645,499 ⋆2,610,149 ⋆2,156,130 n/a Southwark 233,856 622,486 902,125 ⋆1,040,053 1. The figures quoted in the above tables are taken from each local authority's certified Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit final subsidy claim. For some claims, qualifications raised by the auditor remain outstanding. The figures denoted by an asterisk are those where such qualification exists and which thus remain under scrutiny by the Department. A certified claim for the London Borough of Lambeth for the year 1996–97 remains outstanding.
2. Data on the amount of Housing Benefit fraud detected by local authorities were not collected centrally prior to 1993–94.
3. Weekly benefit savings are an estimate of the value of fraudulent payments which would have continued had the fraud not been detected.
n/a = not available.
Average Weekly Benefit savings claimed in respect of Housing Benefit fraud and average identified incorrect payments of Housing Benefit due to established fraud in the Inner London Boroughs £ million Year 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 (a) average weekly benefit savings 0.952 1.778 2.209 2.613 (b) average identified incorrect payments 0.408 0.697 0.858 1.004 1. The Inner London Boroughs comprise the Boroughs of Camden, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth and Westminster, and the Corporation of the City of London.
2. Averages have been calculated using figures taken from each local authority's certified Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit final subsidy claim; in some cases the figures used remain subject to qualification by the auditor.
3. The averages quoted are rounded to the nearest thousand.
The first Housing Benefit review, in 1995, estimated the overall cost of incorrectness in housing benefit to be around £1 billion: this estimate includes confirmed and suspected fraud, as well as claimant and official error. The Department is currently conducting a further review to update that estimate.