§ Mr. Ashdownasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list what information is available about the geographical distribution, by regions or otherwise, of the number of recipients of supplementary benefit on long-term scale rates, in each year since 1981.
§ Mr. WhitneyI refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 17 April at columns214-15.
§ Mr. Tony Lloydasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is his policy on the circumstances in which he waives repayment of overpaid benefit;
(2) why he will not waive repayment in the case of Mr. D. Wilcha about whom the hon. Member for Stretford wrote to him on 12 and 14 February.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe Secretary of State has a statutory right to recover benefit which the independent
271Wadjudication authorities decide has been overpaid. It is the Secretary of State's policy to seek recovery in every case in which he has a right to do so unless it would cause undue hardship. Careful consideration is given to factors such as the cause of the overpayment and the person's age, health and financial and domestic circumstances.
Mr. D. Wilcha's case was considered carefully against these criteria. There were no special circumstances to justify a decision not to seek repayment of the benefit overpaid to him. He has already made arrangements to repay by deduction from his current benefit.