§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what instructions he gives officers of his Department concerning the demand for, examination and return of passports required to be produced by claimants for scrutiny, before benefits are provided;
(2) in respect of what benefits persons or categories of persons are required to produce passports for examination at their local social security office.
§ Dr. Boyson[pursuant to his reply, 5 December 1983, c. 68]: The relevance of passports to the benefit system differs as between supplementary benefit and other benefits.
Instructions relating to the effect of immigration status on supplementary benefit entitlement are contained in paragraphs 3951-3969 of the S manual, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. These instructions stress that every effort should be made to deal with cases without asking to see a passport.
It is not a requirement, as such, that a passport must be produced before any other social security benefit is provided. The production of a passport may facilitate a claim for child benefit where the exact date of a person's entry to this country is needed to decide a claim. It can also be requested as secondary evidence, for example as verification of age where a birth certificate or other evidence is not available. Where a passport is produced as evidence, a staff are instructed to note the necessary details and then return the passport to the claimant.
§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether benefit is refused to those claimants who are required to produce their passports, but fail, or refuse to do so.
§ Dr. Boyson[pursuant to his reply, 5 December 1983, c. 68]: If evidence of a supplementary benefit claimant's immigration status is necessary to establish his entitlement, but he is unable to produce such evidence, the Department may seek to obtain the information so that entitlement can be determined. If the claimant is unwilling to provide such evidence as is necessary, then his claim will be referred to the independent adjudicating authority for a decision. This may result in a decision to disallow benefit, against which the claimant has a right of appeal.
If evidence is needed to establish entitlement to any other social security benefit but no satisfactory evidence, whether or not a passport, is provided, the case will be referred to the independent adjudicating authority for a decision. This may result in a decision to disallow benefit, against which the claimant has a right of appeal.
§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services which persons or category of persons he requires to produce their passports to their local social security offices in order to claim benefits.
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§ Dr. Boyson[pursuant to his reply, 5 December 1983, c. 68]: Evidence of immigration status, for example a passport, is sought where a person claiming supplementary benefit has recently come from abroad and may have conditions attached to his stay which might affect his entitlement to benefit.
§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, by virtue of what powers, statutory or otherwise, he requires persons or categories of persons to produce their passports to a local social security office for the purpose of obtaining a benefit.
§ Dr. Boyson[pursuant to his reply, 5 December 1983, c. 68): When documentary evidence is requested in order to process a claim for benefit, the authority to do sc. is:
For supplementary benefit under regulations 4 and 8 of the Supplementary Benefit (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1981; for family income supplement, under regulation 3 of the FIS (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1980; for child benefit, under regulation 3 of the Child Benefit (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1976; for contributory and other social security benefits, under reg 7 of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979.