§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in view of the discovery by the Australian Government of frauds costing millions of pounds to the Australian Exchequer, where claims have been made and paid to nonexistent persons, families, pensioners and disabled persons, what action [...]s taken to prevent such abuses being practised in the British social security schemes by persons living or travelling overseas.
§ Mr. OrmeSo far as I am aware, the Australian frauds have involved benefits paid in respect of incapacity for work to persons in Australia and abroad. The corresponding British benefits for incapacity are not normally payable to people who have gone abroad except in some limited circumstances of temporary absence or where the beneficiary has gone to another EEC country or to a country with which the United Kingdom has a reciprocal agreement on social security covering the benefit in question. In the latter cases, doubts about whether incapacity continues can be resolved by our arranging through the social security authorities of the other country for an independent medical examination of the claimant.