§ Mr.ClaphamTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what mechanism exists to co-ordinate benefit awarded by his Department and those paid by the War Pensions Agency. [96952]
§ Malcolm WicksIt has been a long-standing principle of the benefits system that it should not provide more than one benefit to cover the same contingency. While income from a War Pension is often disregarded for benefit purposes, there are certain circumstances where the award or cessation of a War Pension or supplementary allowance will necessitate an adjustment to the amount of benefit in payment.
We have measures in place to ensure that benefits paid by this Department are co-ordinated with those paid by the Veterans Agency (formerly the War Pensions Agency), and that any appropriate adjustments to benefit claims are made in the normal course of events.
Prior to the award of a Social Security benefit, a person must make a declaration of their circumstances, including details of the benefits they receive or have claimed. Once benefit is in payment, the recipient is advised to report any changes in their circumstances, including for example, the award or cessation of another benefit. Claims are also reviewed periodically by the Department to ensure their accuracy.
In addition, all claims to benefit are recorded on a computer system to which our agencies and the Veterans Agency have access, enabling the relevant agencies to share information where appropriate.