Supplementary Benefits (Irregularities)

Mr. Meacher
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases of alleged legal and financial irregularities have been investigated by his supplementary benefits staff in each of the past five years; and with what results.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin
[pursuant to his reply, 30 November 1979, c. 832]: The work done in the Department in investigating social security fraud, if this is what the hon. Member has in mind, is mostly  done by specialist staff operating across the whole range of social security benefits, rather than by staff who specifically administer supplementary benefits. How--------------------
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|                 ||1977/78(2)|1978/79(2)|
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|Investigations(3)|…|69,477(4)|70,398(4)|
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|Prosecutions (5) |…|16,825|19,217|
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|Convictions      |…|16,505|18,820|
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