HC Deb 27 January 2003 vol 398 cc648-9W
Mr. Heald

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Benefits Agency staff have been found to have committed fraud in each of the last five years. [92506]

Malcolm Wicks

The figures are an extract from the Departmental annual returns to HM Treasury on internal fraud, and show the number of Benefits Agency staff that have been found to have committed fraud in each year since 1997.

A breakdown by agency for 1997–98 is not available, and the figure given is the total for the then Department of Social Security.

Benefits agency staff that have been found to have committed fraud in each year since 1997
Total DSS figure
1997–98 189
1998–99 112
1999–2000 139
2000–01 65
2001–02 128

Although technically defined as fraud cases for HM Treasury reporting purposes, many of the cases above involve little or no financial loss e.g. unauthorised use of software, or trading on official premises.

While these types of case are treated seriously, and disciplinary action inevitably follows, each case is treated individually and penalties therefore vary considerably, from an oral warning to dismissal, prosecution and custodial sentencing.

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