§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Heeley, Official Report, 1 June 1981, c. 257, if he will tabulate the benefit irregularities found in the 507 cases of single mothers investigated in the special inquiry in one region between February 1980 and February 1981; and how many of these cases led to withdrawal of benefit or prosecution.
§ Mrs. Chalker:Records were not maintained to show the nature of the irregularities brought to light in the 507 cases in question. It is known that the majority related to women who, although claiming benefit as single mothers living alone, were not in fact in this category, but were living either with legal husbands or as the wives of other men. Most, if not all, other irregularities were connected with undisclosed work.
In 421 of the cases, benefit was either terminated or reduced. In the remainder, it was found that benefit had been withdrawn improperly, but the irregularity had terminated and the women were currently entitled to benefit.
The number of prosecutions arising from these cases, if any, is not known.