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Written question asked by Lord Field of Birkenhead (Labour) on Wednesday, 7 November 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 13 November 2007. It was answered by Mike O'Brien (Labour) on Monday, 26 November 2007 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Pension Credit: Overpayments

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many overpayments there were of pension credits in each of the last three years; what the average sum involved was; and how much has been or is expected to be recouped from the executors of deceased pension credits claimants.
Original answer

[holding answer 13 November 2007]: The information relating to the volumes and average value of all pension credit overpayments identified in the last three years are in the following table:

Volume Average value (£)
2004-05 23,000 240
2005-06 59,000 230
2006-07 169,000 547

The large increase in overpayments identified in 2006/07 reflects the Department's effort in improving the management and recovery of overpayments and in reducing error in the benefits system, including the identification and removal of error from the pension credit caseload. The increase in average value in 2006-07 is due to the priority attached to tackling high value error and the fact that overpayments identified could have existed since the introduction of pension credit in October 2003.Information relating to how much has been recovered from executors of deceased pension credit claimants is only available from 2006, and is in the following table. Information relating to how much is expected to be recouped is not available.

Amount recovered (£)
2006-07 4,869,000

It has since been corrected.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
468 c138W (472 21-2MC); 163335
Session
2007-08
Related items
Pension Credit: Overpayments
Monday, 3 March 2008
Written corrections
House of Commons
Pension Credit: Overpayments
Monday, 21 July 2008
Written questions
House of Commons
Notes
Corrected on 3 March 2008 at 472 c21-2MC.
Subjects
Overpayments Pension credit
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk