The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. Chris Pond)?On behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the benefit fraud inspectorate (BFI) has today announced its phase 10 work programme.
BFI will be undertaking shorter inspections focused on the areas of poor local authority performance in the administration of housing benefits. Inspections focusing on the time taken to process benefit claims will be undertaken at Mid-Suffolk district council and Flintshire county council. Inspections focusing on the adequacy of councils' counter-fraud arrangements will be undertaken at a number of authorities including Gravesham borough council, south Buckinghamshire district council and south Cambridge district council.
BFI will undertake full inspections on four local authorities whose benefits administration has been identified as poor or fair under the comprehensive performance assessment regime. These include Castle Point borough council, Mansfield district council and south Northamptonshire council. A full inspection of Bromsgrove district council's benefits service will be made with the agreement of a Government monitoring board which has been set up by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
BFI will also undertake a full inspection of Newport city council whose benefits service performance has been identified as a significant risk following assessment under the Wales programme for improvement.
BFI is an independent unit within the Department for Work and Pensions that inspects and reports directly to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the standard of benefits administration and counter-fraud activity in local authorities and the Department itself.