§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action is taken by local offices of her Department to check on unclaimed benefit by claimants who were known to be at risk.
§ Mr. O'MalleyArrangements exist whereby the Department is informed if 275W beneficiaries whose order books are issued to Post Offices for collection do not collect them within a reasonable time. Although under this arrangement the fact that a beneficiary is not obtaining payment may not be known for some months, when this situation does come to light inquiries are instituted and local offices are expected to use initiative and resource in dealing with unusual cases.
Apart from this I am afraid it would be impracticable for my Department to undertake any routine check on uncashed or unclaimed benefit, but I would expect the details of any case in which the beneficiary's welfare was believed to be at risk to be notified to the appropriate social services department of the local authority.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will conduct an inquiry into the circumstances in which a lady receiving treatment for mental depression and in receipt of supplementary benefit was found, when discovered, to have been dead for more than a year, details of whose case have been supplied to her by the hon. Member for Liverpool, Scotland Exchange; and if she will make a statement.
§ Dr. OwenI understand that searching inquiries are being made by officers of the Liverpool City Council into the circumstances of this case. This is a sad affair and I can well understand the distress felt locally. Through my Department I am in close touch with the local inquiries, which are not yet complete. I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as I have more information.