HC Deb 06 May 1998 vol 311 cc426-7W
Mr. Wigley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many individual cases have been reviewed under the Benefit Integrity Project; how many of these cases have now been concluded; of the cases concluded, in how many instances benefit has been(a) terminated and (b) reduced; and if she will make a statement. [39755]

Mr. Denham

The Benefit Integrity Project aims to ensure that those in receipt of Disability Living Allowance are entitled to it. While it is right to check that people are receiving the correct amount of benefit, we are determined that those checks should be undertaken as sensitively as possible. Also, we must ensure that all decisions taken as a result of the project are right. We have, therefore, acted to introduce an extra safeguard to improve the quality of, and the confidence in, benefit decisions made by the project.

The administration of the Benefit Integrity Project is a matter for Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the right hon. Member.

Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Dafydd Wigley, dated 5 May 1998:

The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many individual cases have been reviewed under the Benefit Integrity Project, how many of these cases have now been concluded: of the cases concluded, in how many instances benefit has been (a) terminated and (b) reduced, and if she will make a statement.The BIP is looking again at designated DLA beneficiaries' current care and mobility needs. Information is collected through a programme of visits and postal enquiries. Selection of customers to receive either a visit or a postal enquiry is done monthly, on a random basis, by computer scan. The customers involved are those with awards of the higher rate of the mobility component combined with either the highest or the middle rate of the care component. During the period covered by the BIP, some time restricted awards in the above categories have expired and fallen due for renewal. They would have been subject to re-examination in the normal way.As at 31 January 1998, under the Benefit Integrity Project, a total of 159,846 cases (including 25,365 renewal cases) have been selected to receive either a visit or a postal questionnaire or, in the case of renewal cases, have been identified as requiring further evidence. As at 31 January 1998, 54,839 cases have been concluded. Of these, 1,299 have resulted in an increase in benefit, 42,730 have remained unchanged, 6,884 have resulted in a reduction in benefit and 3,926 have resulted in benefit being stopped. The total included 10,811 renewal cases of which 334 resulted in an increase in benefit, 5,601 remained unchanged, 2,907 resulted in a reduction in benefit and 1,969 resulted in benefit being stopped.A monthly statistical report can be found in the House of Commons Library.I hope that you find this reply helpful.