§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much benefit has been overpaid in each of the last three years, broken down by type of benefit; and what the total amount of such overpaid benefit that was recovered was in each year, broken down by type of benefit. [88465]
§ Malcolm WicksAs part of our strategy to reduce losses from fraud and error and improve the collection of debt, in April 2001 we established the Debt 409W Management organisation within the Department. The key priorities of Debt Management include achieving an increase in overall recoveries and a long-term reduction in debt stocks, and improving the financial control of processes and the overall efficiency of debt organisation through the establishment of specialised Debt Centres.
The available information is in the tables.
410W
Debt recorded and input to the Overpayment Recovery System by benefit £ 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 Attendance Allowance 9,773,288.97 16,267,021.50 11,955,190.03 Invalid Care Allowance 11,222,521.23 11,359,424.18 8,180,199.74 Severe Disablement Allowance 1,507,316.88 1,497,590.03 1,204,289.58 Disability Living Allowance 11,022,462.65 13,959,427.62 10,330,301.50 Mobility Allowance 25,109.21 45,899.24 34,652.23 Disability Working Allowance 145,715.50 49,189.35 23,843.10 Industrial Injuries Benefit 233,451.94 335,067.25 393,750.38 Reduced Earnings Allowance 275,712.87 198,052.42 180,035.53 Industrial Injuries Death Benefit 53,678.91 64,507.42 133,907.19 Child Benefit 16,362,151.88 14,619,039.83 11,926,340.85 Family Credit 5,177,369.26 341,856.44 90,681.85 Income Support 183,084,658.39 215,916,895.21 214,192,488.13 Supplementary Benefit 297,945.80 339,755.17 204,939.63 Pre 88 Housing Benefit 40,132.41 18,744.95 14,817.05 Other1 355,865.34 355,540.93 215,399.38 Jobseeker's Allowance— Income Based 27,716,465.66 27,227,901.08 21,908.398.26 Earnings Top Up 1,513.70 184.10 1,172.08 Retirement Pension 17,387,756.06 23,749,019.99 26,250,436.74 Incapacity Benefit 22,859,269.81 25,177,744.49 20,066,059.35 Unemployment Benefit 117,798.64 25,349.83 19,256.76 Widows Benefit 3,081,283.20 3,846,236.41 3,169,276.07 Sickness Benefit 97,354.31 67,323.16 31,810.16 Maternity Allowance 153,548.49 93,694.93 37,205.87 Guardians Allowance 160.00 2,127.80 2,842.85 Invalidity Benefit 942,978.38 623,498.52 369,246.77 Jobseeker's Allowance— Contributory 854,384.74 1,017,568.55 722,687.74 Total 312,789,894.23 357,198,660.40 331,659,228.82 1 'Other' includes cases of obsolete benefits and cases where the overpayment benefit type is not identifiable, for example fraud cases where the debt has not been allocated to benefit. Notes:
1. Amounts are calculated overpayments not estimated values of loss.
2. Figures relate primarily to recoverable debt, that is overpayments relating to customer error or fraud. Other debts recorded on the system, for example official error, are not recoverable under benefit legislation but recovery may be considered tinder common law.
Source:
Overpayments Recovery System
Overpayment summary level recoveries 1999–2000 and 2000–01 £ million Financial year Value of overpayment recoveries 1999–2000 184 2000–01 177 2001–02 188 Notes:
1. Summary level recovery information cannot be broken down by benefit type.
2. Data are based on recoveries shown on the Overpayments Recovery System and the Overpayment Recovery Computer System.
3. Recoveries do not necessarily relate to overpayments identified in the same year.
Source:
Programme Accounting Computer System and Financial and Management Information System