Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Benefits (Fraud) – 5 June 1986

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Benefits (Fraud) on 5th June 1986.

Mr. Marlow Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his best estimate of the numbers drawing unemployment or supplementary benefit who are also working without disclosing their work.

Mr. Major It is a criminal offence for any claimant to draw unemployment benefit or supplementary benefit without declaring that he is working. In 1981, in his report on payments of benefits to unemployed people, Sir Derek Rayner estimated that a minimum of around 8 per cent. of claimants are working while claiming benefit. The Department is making substantial efforts to reduce the level of fraud in this area and the Secretary of State has recently announced the allocation of 500 additional fraud staff to augment the Department’s overall anti-fraud effort.