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Social Security Fraud
34. Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many prosecutions for social security fraud were secured in each calendar year since 1996. [150518]
Mr. Rooker: These figures are collected by financial year and are not available by calendar year. The number of prosecutions by financial year were given in my written answer to the hon. Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts) on 10 January 2001, Official Report, column 575-76W.
Mr. Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he is taking to combat social security fraud. [150499]
Mr. Rooker: The Fraud Bill currently before Parliament sets out measures that will make it easier to detect fraud and provide greater deterrents for those thinking of committing fraud.
Yesterday we launched a national advertising campaign that will raise public awareness and reinforce the message that benefit fraud is wrong, unfair and hurts everyone who has to pay for it.
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on his proposals for reducing fraud in social security. [150492]
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Mr. Rooker: We have already taken steps to tighten the gateways to benefit, improve the training of fraud investigators, modernise technology to identify cheats, and we are seeking new powers to toughen the penalties against persistent offenders and gather the information necessary to catch them.
Today we have also launched a national advertising campaign that will raise public awareness and reinforce our message that benefit fraud is wrong, unfair and will not be tolerated.
Maternity Pay
Ms Kelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the estimated cost (a) to the Government and (b) to employers of paying statutory maternity pay at 90 per cent. of earnings for a period of 13 weeks, followed by (i) 13 and (ii) 39 weeks at a flat rate of £100. [150996]
Mr. Bayley [holding answer 28 February 2001]: The information is in the table.
| £ million | ||
|---|---|---|
| Estimated cost to: | ||
| Government in 2001-02 | Employers in 2001-02 | |
| Statutory maternity pay at 90 per cent. of earnings for 13 weeks followed by 13 weeks at flat rate of £100 | 1,300 | 600 |
| Statutory maternity pay at 90 per cent. of earnings for 13 weeks followed by 39 weeks at flat rate of £100 | 2,100 | 1,200 |
Notes:
1. Costs to Government take no account of effects on tax revenue, or of any income-related benefit offsets.
2. Costs to employers include an estimation of the costs of engaging and training staff cover for employees on maternity leave and other costs, assuming the mother does not return to work during the statutory maternity pay period.
3. Possible benefits to employers such as staff retention are excluded.
4. Costs assume 100 per cent. take up by mothers eligible for receipt of statutory maternity pay in 2001-02
Departmental Policies (Ilford, North)
Ms Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what initiatives embarked upon since May 1997 have benefited Ilford, North; and if he will make a statement. [152029]
Angela Eagle: The Department's policies and initiatives have made a significant contribution to the Government's overall objectives of:
- Eradicating child poverty in 20 years, and halving it within 10;
- Promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age while protecting the position of those in greatest need; and,
- Combating poverty and promoting security and independence in retirement for today's and tomorrow's pensioners.
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constituency level data, but the following provides a comparative guide to the effect of the Department's policies and actions in Ilford, North since May 1997.
Measures in our first four Budgets will lift over 1 million children out of poverty. These include record increases in Child Benefit, Working Families Tax Credit, increases in the income-related benefits, the minimum wage and tax changes.
Child Benefit will be worth £15.50 a week for the eldest child and £10.35 a week for other children from April 2001: nationally about 7 million families receive Child Benefit, and in Ilford, North 11,420 families benefit.
We now have the lowest unemployment rate in 25 years. The New Deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, the over-50s and partners of the unemployed to move from benefit into work. In the period since May 1997 the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance nationally has reduced from 1,562,400 to 1,044,900; in Ilford, North the number has reduced from 2,200 to 1,500. Since May 1997 the number of lone parents who claim Income Support has decreased from 1,013,500 to 894,100 nationally, and in Ilford, North from 1,600 to 1,500.
Older people are disproportionately affected by fuel poverty, so we have introduced Winter Fuel Payments to help with their heaviest fuel bill. This winter, the payment is £200 for households who qualify. Around 17,000 older people in Ilford, North have received a Winter Fuel Payment for this winter.
To demonstrate our commitment to combating pensioner poverty, this year we will spend £4.5 billion extra in real terms on pensioners. Some 16,400 pensioners in Ilford, North will benefit from the substantial increases in the basic State Pension this April and next; this year's increase is £5 a week for single pensioners and £8 for couples. In addition we have introduced free TV licences for the over-75s, of whom we estimate there are about 7,000 in Ilford, North. 2,700 pensioner families in Ilford, North are receiving the minimum income guarantee, which we introduced in April 1999 to help our poorest pensioners. From April they will be at least £15 a week, or £800 a year, better off in real terms as a result of Government measures since 1997.
Other reforms in the pipeline include the new Pension Credit in 2003, designed to ensure that pensioners benefit from their savings. The launch of Stakeholder Pensions in April this year and the introduction of the State Second Pension in April 2002 will both help provide greater security for tomorrow's pensioners.
Departmental Policies (Bolton, West)
Ms Kelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Bolton, West constituency, the effects on Bolton, West of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [150604]
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Mr. Rooker: The Department's policies and initiatives have made a significant contribution to the Government's overall objectives of:
- Eradicating child poverty in 20 years, and halving it within 10;
- Promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age while protecting the position of those in greatest need; and,
- Combating poverty and promoting security and independence in retirement for today's and tomorrow's pensioners.
Measures in our first four Budgets will lift over one million children out of poverty. These include record increases in Child Benefit, Working Families Tax Credit, increases in the income-related benefits, the minimum wage and tax changes.
Child Benefit will be worth £15.50 a week for the eldest child and £10.35 a week for other children from April 2001: nationally about 7 million families receive Child Benefit, and in Bolton, West 11,106 families benefit.
We now have the lowest unemployment rate in 25 years. The new deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, the over-50s and partners of the unemployed to move from benefit into work. In the period since May 1997 the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance nationally has reduced from 1,562,400 to 1,044,900; in Bolton, West the number has reduced from 1,200 to 1,100. Since May 1997, the number of lone parents who claim Income Support has decreased from 1,013,500 to 894,100 nationally, and in Bolton, West from 1,100 to 1,000.
Older people are disproportionately affected by fuel poverty. So we have introduced Winter Fuel Payments to help with their heaviest fuel bill. This winter, the payment is £200 for households who qualify. Over 15,500 older people in Bolton, West have received a Winter Fuel Payment for this winter.
To demonstrate our commitment to combating pensioner poverty, this year we will spend £4.5 billion extra in real terms on pensioners. Some 14,500 pensioners in Bolton, West will benefit from the substantial increases in the basic state pension this April and next; this year's increase is £5 a week for single pensioners and £8 for couples. In addition we have introduced free TV licences for the over-75s, of whom we estimate there are about 5,800 in Bolton, West. 2,000 pensioner families in Bolton, West are receiving the Minimum Income Guarantee, which we introduced in April 1999 to help our poorest pensioners. From April they will be at least £15 a week, or £800 a year, better off in real terms as a result of Government measures since 1997.
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Other reforms in the pipeline include the new pension credit in 2003, designed to ensure that pensioners benefit from their savings. The launch of stakeholder pensions in April this year and the introduction of the state second pension in April 2002 will both help provide greater security for tomorrow's pensioners.
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