§ Mr. Cartwrightasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the average cost involved in seeking to recover the overpayment of supplementary benefit caused by claimants' errors; and what is the minimum sum in respect of which this procedure is undertaken.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe average cost to the Department of recovering an overpayment of supplementary benefit which the independent adjudicating authorities have required a claimant to repay is estimated to be £130 if proceedings in the civil courts are involved and £30 in other cases. Whether recovery action will be pursued depends on the facts of each particular case and, trifling sums apart, there is no minimum sum below which recovery is not sought.