Written question asked by Jim Cunningham (Labour) on Thursday, 1 December 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 7 December 2011. It was answered by Lord Grayling (Conservative) on Wednesday, 7 December 2011 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how he will ensure that the expertise of local authority benefit fraud staff is not lost when the Single Fraud Investigation Service is established.

Answer: The new Single Fraud Investigation Service (SFIS) will be formed by consolidating the benefit and tax credit fraud investigation teams across DWP, local authorities and HMRC, which will enable them to undertake a single investigation for the first time. This will be a much better service and a much more efficient way of using investigative resources, and ensure the expertise that currently exists across all these areas is not lost.We recently ran a consultation exercise with local authorities (LAs) to consider four options for local authority staff to become part of SFIS. Of the 285 responses received 76% of LAs agreed with our assessment that the option for local authority staff to remain employed by LAs, but operate under SFIS powers, policies, processes and priorities, was the most suitable option at this time. This will effectively bring local authority investigation staff into SFIS.Local authorities were informed of the decision to proceed with this option on 1 December. We will continue to work collaboratively with them to co-design an operational structure for SFIS from 2013.

Secondary information