Fraudulent Claims (Hansard, 28 October 1976)

§ Mr. George
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claimants were investigated and how many allowances were withdrawn or reduced in 1975; what were the types of offence involved; and if he will express this as

Type of offence Number investigated Allowances withdrawn or reduced

Undisclosed income—earnings of claimant or dependant as employee 11,557 4,441

Undisclosed income—earnings of claimant or dependant from self-employment 4,186 1,552

Undisclosed income—other income or capital assets 488 162

Fictitious desertion 1,938 861

Undisclosed cohabitation 10,182 4,064

All other cases of suspected fraud 274 99

Total 28,625 11,179^*

^* 39 per cent.

342W
the Essex Area Health Authority over the course of the last three years.

§ Mr. Moyle
Figures supplied by the Essex Area Health Authority are given below:
in the table of page 52 of the report of the committee on the abuse of social service benefits.

§ Mr. Orme
The following table gives the 1975 figures as in the table on page 52 of the Report of the Committee on Abuse of Social Security Benefits (Cmnd. 5228):

Type of offence	Number investigated	Allowances withdrawn or reduced
Undisclosed income—earnings of claimant or dependant as employee	11,557	4,441
Undisclosed income—earnings of claimant or dependant from self-employment	4,186	1,552
Undisclosed income—other income or capital assets	488	162
Fictitious desertion	1,938	861
Undisclosed cohabitation	10,182	4,064
All other cases of suspected fraud	274	99
Total	28,625	11,179^*
^* 39 per cent.