HC Deb 14 July 1994 vol 246 cc742-3W
Mr. Pike

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what figures are available for people claiming income support by(a) gender and (b) age for (i) Burnley, (ii) Lancashire, (iii) the north West and (iv) England for the latest month for which figures are available.

Mr. Burt

The available information is in the table.

to his Department; what plans the Government have to extend the scope of such repayments; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Hague

Repayments of benefit can be required when an adjudication officer decides that an overpayment has been caused by a person's misrepresentation, or failure to disclose, any material fact; or when there has been a civil action under common law.

In certain circumstances, legislation provides for recovery of moneys paid to individual benefit claimants, thus

  1. (1) when Income Support is paid (or paid at a higher rate) because of the late payment of a contributory or other non-means tested benefit, the sum involved may be recovered before any payment of arrears is made.
  2. (2) an amount equivalent to the value of relevant benefits should be deducted and paid to the Department for cases which fall under the provisions of the Compensation Recovery Scheme. Normally this deduction is made by the compensator just before the personal injury damages are paid to the individual who made the claim.

We have no plans to extend the scope of these arrangements.