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10 Apr 2003 : Column 408W—continued

Benefit Overpayments

Mr. Heald: To 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 Wicks: As part of our strategy to reduce losses from fraud and error and improve the collection of debt, in April 2001 we established the Debt

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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.

Debt recorded and input to the Overpayment Recovery System by benefit
£

1999–20002000–012001–02
Attendance Allowance9,773,288.9716,267,021.5011,955,190.03
Invalid Care Allowance11,222,521.2311,359,424.188,180,199.74
Severe Disablement Allowance1,507,316.881,497,590.031,204,289.58
Disability Living Allowance11,022,462.6513,959,427.6210,330,301.50
Mobility Allowance25,109.2145,899.2434,652.23
Disability Working Allowance145,715.5049,189.3523,843.10
Industrial Injuries Benefit233,451.94335,067.25393,750.38
Reduced Earnings Allowance275,712.87198,052.42180,035.53
Industrial Injuries Death Benefit53,678.9164,507.42133,907.19
Child Benefit16,362,151.8814,619,039.8311,926,340.85
Family Credit5,177,369.26341,856.4490,681 .85
Income Support183,084,658.39215,916,895.21214,192,488.13
Supplementary Benefit297,945.80339,755.17204,939.63
Pre 88 Housing Benefit40,132.4118,744.9514,817.05
Other(16)355,865.34355,540.93215,399.38
Jobseeker's Allowance—Income Based27,716,465.6627,227,901.0821,908,398.26
Earnings Top Up1,513.70184.101,172.08
Retirement Pension17,387,756.0623,749,019.9926,250,436.74
Incapacity Benefit22,859,269.8125,177,744.4920,066,059.35
Unemployment Benefit117,798.6425,349.8319,256.76
Widows Benefit3,081,283.203,846,236.413,169,276.07
Sickness Benefit97,354.3167,323.1631,810.16
Maternity Allowance153,548.4993,694.9337,205.87
Guardians Allowance160.002,127.802,842.85
Invalidity Benefit942,978.38623,498.52369,246.77
Jobseeker's Allowance—Contributory854,384.741,017,568.55722,687.74
Total312,789,894.23357,198,660.40331,659,228.82

(16) '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 under common law.

Source:

Overpayments Recovery System


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Overpayment summary level recoveries 1999–2000 and 2000–01
£ million

Financial yearValue of overpayment recoveries
1999–2000184
2000–01177
2001–02188

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


Benefits

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many residents of Hendon receive (a) job seekers allowance, (b) incapacity benefit, (c) disabled living allowance and (d) income support; and how many of those receiving income support are lone parents. [108237]

Mr. Nicholas Brown [holding answer 9 April 2003]: The latest figures available are in the table:

Benefit recipients in the Hendon constituency

BenefitNumber of claimants
Jobseeker's Allowance (17)2,100
Incapacity Benefit (17)1,600
Disability Living Allowance (18)3,100
Income Support (all claimants) (17)8,100
Income Support (Lone Parents) (17)2,400

(17) Figures for JSA, IB and IS are as at November 2002.

(18) Figures for DLA are as at August 2002.

Notes:

1. The figures given are based on a five per cent. sample therefore subject to sampling variation.

2. Parliamentary Constituencies are allocated using the relevant ONS postcode directory and are based on May 1997 boundaries.

3. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.

4. JSA and IB figures exclude 'nil benefit' cases who claim National Insurance credits only.

5. Income Support Lone Parent claimants are defined as any live Income Support benefit unit where the claimant is under age 60,with dependents, and not in receipt of a disability premium.

6. IB figure will exclude a small number of clerically held cases.

Source:

Jobseeker's Allowance Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, November 2002.

IB—five per cent. sample of the Benefit computer system.DLA—IAD Information Centre five per cent. sample.

Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, November 2002.


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Child Support Agency

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) third party debt orders, (b) charging orders, (c) county court judgments, (d) levying of distress actions, (e) committal actions and (f) withdrawal of driving licence orders have been (i) sought and (ii) granted at the instance of the CSA in each year since 1997. [106243]

Malcolm Wicks: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Doug Smith to Annabelle Ewing, dated 8 April 2003:







Third party debt orders

Year to 31 MarchNumber
1997340
1998370
19991,150
20001,400
20011,500
2002800
2003950

Charging orders

Year to 31 MarchNumber
199770
199860
199970
200080
2001250
2002400
2003700

County court judgments

Year to 31 MarchNumber
1997300
1998700
1999500
2000650
2001600
2002300
2003550


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Levying of distress actions

Year to 31 MarchNumber
1997800
19981,000
19992,000
20002,300
20011,600
20022,100
20032,400

Strictly the Agency does not seek either committal or the withdrawal of a driving licence. These are options available to a Magistrates Court. The number of cases we have taken in each year where the Magistrates choose committal are as follows:

Year to 31 MarchNumber
19970
1998Figures not available
199933
20007
200122
20025
200316

The Magistrates chose to exercise the option of withdrawing a driving licence in two cases in the last year.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many liability orders in Scotland have been (a) sought and (b) granted at the instance of the Child Support Agency in each year since 1997. [106244]

Malcolm Wicks: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Doug Smith to Annabelle Ewing, dated 8 April 2003:





Year to 31 MarchNumber
1998260
1999400
2000700
2001470
2002200
2003280

Clearly there will be a difference between the number "sought" and "granted" but, for the reason explained, I am unable to reliably establish that.

10 Apr 2003 : Column 413W


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