§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to amend the present system whereby if an unemployed man is overpaid by the Department of Employment and underpaid by the Department of Health and Social Security, leaving him with a correct total benefit, it is possible for the Department of Employment to demand repayment of the sum due from 353W the claimant rather than from the Department of Health and Social Security; and how many families or persons are estimated to have been subject to this regulation in the last three years.
§ Sir K. JosephRepayment would not ordinarily be enforced in these circumstances, but I am considering whether any change in the regulations is called for. The number of cases is not known but is not likely to be large.