Benefit Fraud (Hansard, 6 November 2001)

§ Mr. Willetts
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many suspected cases of(a) housing benefit and (b) council tax benefit fraud there were in the financial year 2000–01; how many of these led to a prosecution; and how many of these prosecutions were successful.[10412]

§ Malcolm Wicks
[holding answer 26 October 2001]: The information is in the table:

Local authority fraud investigations 2000–01

Number

Cases referred to the fraud/investigation section:

For further action 460,000

For further action that were investigated by the fraud section 370,000

Cases referred for prosecution 2,300

Successful prosecutions 1,100

Notes: 1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple 2. The figures have been rounded to two significant figures 3. Data are not available for all 409 local authorities. These totals include estimates for local authorities that have not responded which are based on historical and regional data. This type of estimate is standard practice in reporting totals where there have been non-respondents
Source: Housing Benefit Management Information System Quarterly Administration Returns April 1999 to March 2000

§ Mr. Willetts
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have been successfully prosecuted for benefit fraud in the last year for which figures are available, broken down into those prosecuted(a) for the first time, (b) for the second time and (c) for the third or subsequent time.[10413]

§ Malcolm Wicks
[holding answer 26 October 2001]: In 2000–01, 24,112 people were prosecuted or sanctioned by Benefits Agency fraud investigators and local authorities reported that they prosecuted or sanctioned 1,650 people¹. These are more than double the numbers in 1997–98.
190W
9,030 successful prosecutions were undertaken by the Benefits Agency and 1,100 successful prosecutions were reported by local authorities¹. Our research suggests that approximately 5 per cent. of prosecutions involve a person with a previous conviction for benefit fraud. We are putting in place mechanisms to identify second and further convictions.
¹Notes: 1. Figures for local authorities are taken from management information returns. 2. It is possible that there could be some double counting with Benefits Agency data if there were cases which involved a joint prosecution. 3. Data are not available for all 409 local authorities. The total for Great Britain includes estimates for local authorities that have not responded. These estimates are based on historical and regional data. This type of estimate is standard practice in reporting totals where there have been non-respondents.

§ Mr. Clappison
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent in the development and maintenance of the "Targeting Fraud" website to date.[11256]

§ Malcolm Wicks
The total cost so far has been £35,631.

§ Mr. Dismore
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what action he is taking to investigate the allegations of benefit fraud committed by a person whose name has been communicated to him; and if he will make a statement.[9640]

§ Malcolm Wicks
It is not appropriate to disclose details of investigations into individual cases of alleged benefit fraud.

Local authority fraud investigations 2000–01
	Number
Cases referred to the fraud/investigation section:
For further action	460,000
For further action that were investigated by the fraud section	370,000
Cases referred for prosecution	2,300
Successful prosecutions	1,100