Benefit Integrity Project (Hansard, 3 February 1998)

§ Mr. Denham

One of our key aims is to rebuild integrity in, and public support for, the Social Security system and the way in which public money is spent. Benefits should go to those who are properly entitled to benefit. This is why we have continued with Benefit Integrity Project.

The administration of this programme is a matter for Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with further details.

Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Paul Burstow, dated 2 February 1998: The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what steps are taken by her Department to ensure consistency in the conduct of Benefit Integrity Project (BIP) interviews and assessments. The BIP is looking again at some awards of Disability Living Allowance (DLA). Information is collected either by visiting the disabled person at home or by sending them a questionnaire by post. In the interests of fairness and effective administration, it is important that visiting officers carry out interviews to a common standards and to this end they have been selected against common criteria and have all attended a specially designed training. The training course covers all aspect of visiting techniques, including a session prepared and delivered by members of the Disability Income Group. A further important source of consistency is that the information obtained from our enquiries, both by post and at visits, is recorded on the same form, DLA 250, which has been designed to ensure that, when completed, it provides a comprehensive picture of a person's circumstances and how their disability affects their daily life. As with all aspects of the work of the Benefits Agency (BA), checks are carried out to ensure that high standards are maintained. In the case of BIP, managers at the Disability Benefit Centres, where the visiting officers are located, are required to monitor the standard of completion of BIP questionnaires and to accompany visiting officers on a number of visits. 618W Once BIP enquiries are complete, an adjudication officer may be required to review the award of DLA. Adjudication on BIP cases is subject to the same rules and controls as any other DLA case, which means that cases are checked by the BA's Adjudication, Checking and Advice Team. I hope you find this reply helpful.