Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in the most recent period of 12 months for which data are available, how many benefit claims were cancelled or suspended while third-party accusations about claimants' circumstances were investigated, what proportion of those claims were fully reinstated following an investigation, and what was the average length of time taken to investigate those claims.

DWP values the role played by members of the public in reporting suspected fraud and takes appropriate action in relation to all such allegations. However, we do not hold information regarding the number of such cases suspended or closed whilst a fraud investigation is ongoing.

A claim would only be suspended whilst investigations are ongoing where there is strong intelligence/evidence that benefit entitlement is in doubt. The claimant would be informed of the specific reason for this, with all decisions on suspension being made in accordance with legislation and case law.

Such decisions are not taken lightly but are important in ensuring not only that losses to the public purse as a result of suspected fraud are minimised, but also in ensuring that the individual concerned does not incur potentially large benefit overpayments that they might later be required to repay.