HC Deb 05 December 1977 vol 940 cc521-3W
Mr. Sproat

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what estimate he has made of the extra burden on public funds of issuing new guidance to officers of his Department not necessarily to prosecute persons living together, but claiming benefit as single persons, on the grounds that if their relationship has not lasted more than approximately six months it could turn out to be an unstable relationship;

(2) if he will now withdraw the new guidance which he has given to officers of his Department not necessarily to prosecute persons living together for up to some six months, although they are continuing to draw social security benefits as

many times his appeals were upheld; and how many times they were rejected.

Mr. Ennals

Figures relating to the results of references to medical appeal tribunals from medical boards by my Department are not kept in the form requested, but the following information may be helpful:

single persons, on the grounds that theirs might be an unstable relationship;

(3) whether, under the new guidance to officers of his Department regarding the payment of single person's benefit to each of two persons who are living together on the grounds that theirs might be an unstable relationship, it would be possible for such persons to live together for five months, continue to draw benefit as single persons, stop living together for several weeks, and then start living together again and continue drawing single persons benefits, on the grounds that the break of several weeks in their living together demonstrated that there continued to be an unstable relationship; and if he will make a statement;

(4) whether, under the new guidance to officers of his Department, regarding persons living together but in fact receiving benefits as single persons, persons living together and drawing social security benefits as though they were single persons living alone, with the knowledge of his Department but without prosecution by his Department, on the grounds that their relationship might only last some six months, and therefore be classified under his new guidance as an unstable relationship, would have to repay the benefit previously granted if their relationship continued for longer than some six months, thus having been shown to be a stable rather than unstable relationship;

(5) if, when the new guidance to officers of his Department comes into effect regarding a man and woman living together but still being able to draw benefits as single persons not living together for the purposes of benefit, on the grounds that they could be part of an unstable relationship, it will be possible for each to draw single person's benefit although living together for up to six months; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Orme

The new instructions put into effect the proposals by the Supplementary Benefits Commission in its report "Living Together as Husband and Wife" (Supplementary Benefits Administration Paper No. 5). Considerable thought and discussion have been devoted to these new arrangements and it would not be in the interest of claimants or local offices to withdraw the instructions now. The extra cost of these new arrangements cannot be precisely quantified but will be small and more than justified by the improvement in public administration that wilt result. This is a complex social issue which does not lend itself to simple rules of thumb, as my reply to the hon. Member on 25th November—[Vol. 939, c.937]—indicated. It would be wrong to attempt to answer hypothetical questions about unreal circumstances on this subject because this is likely to cause public confusion and make more difficult the task of local office staff in administering the new arrangements.

Mr. Sproat

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the average amount, approximately, per week, in an individual case, by which his Department was defrauded, in cases where a conviction was gained against a person claiming to live alone but in fact cohabiting with another person, in the latest 12 months for which figures are available.

Mr. Orme

The records of my Department are not kept in such a way as to enable such estimates to be made.