§ Mrs. Dunwoodyasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many of his Department's fraud investigation teams have been used in the Crewe district and travel-to-work area in the period 1979 to 1981; how many cases have been investigated; how many people have had their benefits withdrawn; and how many have subsequently been restored on appeal.
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§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe investigation of unemployment benefit fraud in the Crewe area is normally carried out by staff based at Crewe unemployment benefit office. In the period February 1979 to date a total of 160 cases have been investigated. In 61 of these claimants have been disallowed benefit and in no case has benefit subsequently been restored on appeal.
In addition, a special exercise was carried out in the Crewe area in February and March 1981 by investigators from the Department's Manchester regional office. Fifty five claimants were investigated of whom 20 have had either unemployment or supplementary benefit disallowed. In no case yet has this been restored on appeal.