Social Security Benefits: Fraud
[Official Report, 21 May 2009, Vol. 492, c. 1526W.]
Letter of correction from Jim Knight:
An error has been identified in the written answer given to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) on 21 May 2009.
In the original second table, the figure given for the number of prosecutions for housing benefit fraud in 2005-06 was incorrectly cited as 6,041. The revised answer also contains an additional footnote relating to housing benefit.
The correct answer should have been: (244731)
The available information for DWP administered benefits is in the following table.
Number of cases referred for prosecution Number prosecuted Number of convictions Number of cases taken to court that accepted an alternative sanction 2003-04 10,048 10,358 9,027 n/a 2004-05 10,915 10,295 9,219 261 2005-06 9,814 10,262 8,740 170 2006-07 10,166 8,964 6,861 206 2007-08 10,288 10,274 7,745 278 n/a = Not available Notes: 1. All cases for criminal investigation are taken forward as having the potential to result in prosecution; alternative sanctions of caution and administrative penalty are only offered on the basis that, if refused, prosecution remains an option for the Department. Decisions on whether a sanction and which type is appropriate are, rightly, only made when an investigation has been completed. 2. The number of cases prosecuted each year may exceed the number of cases referred for prosecution due to the length of time that can occur between referral and an available court date. Sources: 1. Prosecution and conviction data for England and Wales from DWP/DH Legal Group 2. Number of cases taken to court that accepted an alternative sanction (England and Wales only) from DWP/DH Legal Group 3. Prosecution and conviction data for Scotland from FIBS and FRAIMS 4. Number of cased referred for prosecution, administrative penalties and cautions data from FIBS and FRAIMS
Additionally figures for housing benefit are as follows:
Prosecutions Convictions 2003-04 4,601 3,747 2004-05 5,544 4,688 2005-06 7,717 6,234 2006-07 6,023 5,860 2007-08 6,611 6,493 Notes: 1. The decision to prosecute is taken by the appropriate local authority. 2. Figures from HOBOD are subject to revision when new or revised data are received from local authorities and uploaded by the Department. Source: Housing Benefits Operational Database (HOBOD) using local authority housing benefit administrative returns