§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish information showing the proportion of claims for family income supplement in which it is necessary to contact employers to verify information on earnings; how many of these contacts can be attributable to inadequate wage slips; how many cases arise because the employee does not receive wage slips; what other reasons necessitate checks with employers; and to what extent the incidence of checks with employers has changed since the introduction of family income supplement.
§ Mr. MajorIt is estimated that inquiries to employers on earnings are made in around three quarters of claims for family income supplement. Inquiries are made either because the claimant has not provided the necessary payslips or because further information is needed to eatablish normal earnings; a breakdown of the overall estimate according to the precise reason for the inquiry is not available. Estimates of the level of inquiries to employers are not regularly made and recorded, but there is no evidence to suggest that there has been any significant change in recent years.