HC Deb 27 March 1995 vol 257 cc423-4W
Mr. Milburn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what has been the level of(a) over-payments and (b) under-payments of income support in each year since its introduction; and what sums have been recovered. [15751]

Mr. Roger Evans

Information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is set out in the tables. Information is not collected on underpaid amounts. These are paid to claimants as soon as they are discovered.

Table 1—Losses due to irrecoverable and unrecovered overpayments of Income Support
Year Amount (£000s)
1988–89 41,112
1989–90 40,211
1990–91 28,608
1991–92 32,974
1992–93 46,612
1993–94 55,820

Table 2—Recoveries of overpayment via Benefits Agency Districts
Year Amount (£000s)
1988–89 15,348
1989–90 17,068
1990–91 15,483
1991–92 15,377
1992–93 19,431
1993–94 32,830

Note:

Information on the totals of recoverable overpayments is not collected centrally.

Mr. Steen

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will ensure that his ministerial management information system for establishing objectives for his Department, includes deregulation objectives(a) for him and (b) for each of the Ministers within his Department. [15573]

Mr. Arbuthnot

This Department's deregulation objectives are set out on pages 2, 47 and 48 of the 1995 departmental report, "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1995–96 to 1997–98", published on 9 March 1995. One of our key tasks for the next three years is to reduce the burdens on business wherever possible, particularly by dealing with the differences in national insurance and Inland Revenue procedures.