§ Mr. FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what powers he uses to compel claimants of(a) Income Support and (b) Jobseeker's Allowance, whose claim is selected for inspection by the area benefit review to give an interview to a Benefits Agency review officer; [118276]
(2) what proportion of those claimants of (a) Income Support, (b) Jobseeker's Allowance and (c) Housing Benefit whose claim was selected for inspection by the area benefit review refused to give an interview to the Benefits Agency review officer in each of the last three years. [118210]
§ Angela EagleThere is no specific power to compel a person to give an interview to an Area Benefit Review Officer. However, under Claims and Payments Regulations 7 and 8 a person who claims Income Support is required to supply the Department with information in connection with their claim and to attend interviews if so requested. There are equivalent provisions in Regulations 23 and 24 of the Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations. The Department has no record of any benefit claimant having refused to be interviewed under the Area Benefit Review programme.