Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by John Heppell (Labour). It was answered on Monday, 7 July 2008 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Benefit Claims

Question: I welcome anything that tackles benefit fraud, but will the Under-Secretary assure me and the House that those analyses will not be used to target vulnerable people or, indeed, result in the withdrawal or withholding of any benefits without real evidence?

Answer: I can give my hon. Friend that absolute reassurance. The technology that is in use does not in itself prove benefit fraud. All that it does is indicate levels of potential risk in the call, which lead us to decide which verification process to follow to establish the merit of the claim. When there is a question about any claimant having difficulty in pursuing a claim over the telephone, we will establish that early and always make alternative arrangements such as home visits or face-to-face meetings. Although we are also tackling benefit fraud, our objective throughout is to ensure that we pay the right benefits to the right people at the right time.

Secondary information