HC Deb 15 April 2002 vol 383 cc697-8W
29. Mr. Gibb

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases of fraud there were in 2000–01 in income support. [45043]

Malcolm Wicks

It is not possible to state the exact number. We estimate, extrapolating from the results of the Area Benefit Reviews, that there were 204,000 cases of fraud in income support in 2000–01.

Mr. Gareth R. Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his targets are for the reduction of benefit fraud. [45025]

Malcolm Wicks

We have a target to reduce losses from fraud and error in income support and jobseeker's allowance by 25 per cent. by 2004 and by 50 per cent. by 2006. We have already achieved an 18 per cent. reduction.

From this month we are beginning to use new powers in the Fraud Act 2001 that make it easier to catch fraudsters and give greater punishments to those who persistently abuse the system.

Also from this month, all local authorities are now operating within the new incentive scheme, focusing on the full range of anti-fraud measures as well as customer error; 77 per cent. of local authorities have now signed up to participate in our verification framework that stops fraud from getting into the system in the first place. So far, net savings from the verification framework are estimated at about £100 million.

We have introduced the Housing Benefit review to provide a continuous measure of fraud and error in Housing Benefit. This will enable us to gauge the success of the range of initiatives we have put in place to tackle Housing Benefit fraud.

Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much benefit fraud cost his Department in each of the last five years; and how many people have been prosecuted for benefit fraud in the last year; and what range of penalties have been imposed. [47450]

Malcolm Wicks

[holding answer 10 April 2002]: Our latest estimate is that £2 billion is lost each year through benefit fraud in the system. Latest results show that in the 2 years to March 2001 we have reduced the level of fraud and error in income support and jobseeker's allowance by 18 per cent. In 2000–01 we imposed 26,958 sanctions, 11,403 of which involved prosecutions and 15,555 of which were cautions or other penalties.

Brian Cotter

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money was paid in error owing to benefit fraud in Weston-Super-Mare in each of the last five years. [47761]

Malcolm Wicks

Information on the level of benefit fraud at constituency level is not available.