Source: http://smartleges.com/en/law-library/2001-c-11-social-security-fraud-act-2001/2010344
Timestamp: 2019-02-23 07:56:15
Document Index: 372545131

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 8', 'art. 2', 'art. 2', 'art. 2', 'art. 2', 'art. 2']

Social Security Fraud Act 2001, 2001 c. 11, Version 17/11/2001
Obtaining and sharing information (P)
Penalties as an alternative to prosecution (P)
Obtaining and sharing information (PROSPECTIVE)
1 Additional powers to obtain information (E+W+S) (PROSPECTIVE)
(5) In section 110A(8) (modifications for the application of sections 109B and 109C in the case of persons authorised by authorities administering housing benefit or council tax benefit) , after paragraph (b) there shall be inserted “;and
(c) with the omission of section 109B(2D).”
2 Electronic access to information (E+W+S) (PROSPECTIVE)
(1) After section 109B of the Administration Act there shall be inserted—
“109B APower of Secretary of State to require electronic access to information
(1) Subject to subsection (2) below, where it appears to the Secretary of State—
(a) that a person falling within section 109B(2A) keeps any electronic records,
(b) that the records contain or are likely, from time to time, to contain information about any matter that is relevant for any one or more of the purposes mentioned in section 109A(2) above, and
(c) that facilities exist under which electronic access to those records is being provided, or is capable of being provided, by that person to other persons,
the Secretary of State may require that person to enter into arrangements under which authorised officers are allowed such access to those records.
(a) shall be entitled to obtain information in accordance with arrangements entered into under subsection (1) above only if his authorisation states that his authorisation applies for the purposes of that subsection; and
(b) shall not seek to obtain any information in accordance with any such arrangements other than information which relates to a particular person and could be the subject of a requirement under section 109B above.
(a) requirements as to the electronic access to records that is to be made available to authorised officers;
(b) requirements as to the keeping of records of the use that is made of the arrangements;
(c) requirements restricting the disclosure of information about the use that is made of the arrangements; and
(d) such other incidental requirements as the Secretary of State considers appropriate in connection with allowing access to records to authorised officers.
(4) An authorised officer who is allowed access in accordance with any arrangements entered into under subsection (1) above shall be entitled to make copies of, and to take extracts from, any records containing information which he is entitled to require under section 109B.”
(2) After section 110A of that Act there shall be inserted—
“110A APower of local authority to require electronic access to information
(1) Subject to subsection (2) below, where it appears to an authority administering housing benefit or council tax benefit—
(b) that the records contain or are likely, from time to time, to contain information about any matter that is relevant for any one or more of the purposes mentioned in section 110A(2) above, and
that authority may require that person to enter into arrangements under which authorised officers are allowed such access to those records.
(b) shall not seek to obtain any information in accordance with any such arrangements other than information which—
(i) relates to a particular person; and
(ii) could be the subject of any such requirement under section 109B above as may be imposed in exercise of the powers conferred by section 110A(8) above.
(d) such other incidental requirements as the authority in question considers appropriate in connection with allowing access to records to authorised officers.
(4) An authorised officer who is allowed access in accordance with any arrangements entered into under subsection (1) above shall be entitled to make copies of, and to take extracts from, any records containing information which he is entitled to make the subject of a requirement such as is mentioned in subsection (2) (b) above.
(5) An authority administering housing benefit or council tax benefit shall not—
(a) require any person to enter into arrangements for allowing authorised officers to have electronic access to any records; or
(b) otherwise than in pursuance of a requirement under this section, enter into any arrangements with a person specified in section 109B(2A) above for allowing anyone acting on behalf of the authority for purposes connected with any benefit to have electronic access to any private information contained in any records,
except with the consent of the Secretary of State and subject to any conditions imposed by the Secretary of State by the provisions of the consent.
(6) A consent for the purposes of subsection (5) may be given in relation to a particular case, or in relation to any case that falls within a particular description of cases.
(7) In this section “ private information ”, in relation to an authority administering housing benefit or council tax benefit, means any information held by a person who is not entitled to disclose it to that authority except in compliance with a requirement imposed by the authority in exercise of their statutory powers.”
(3) In section 111 of that Act (offences) —
(a) in subsection (1) (a) , for “or” at the end there shall be substituted—
“(ab) refuses or neglects to comply with any requirement under section 109BA or 110AA or with the requirements of any arrangements entered into in accordance with subsection (1) of that section, or”;
(b) in subsection (2) , for “subsection (1) (b) ” there shall be substituted “ subsection (1) (ab) or (b) ”.
4 Arrangements for payments in respect of information (E+W+S) (PROSPECTIVE)
(c) a water undertaker or a water and sewerage authority constituted under section 62 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 (c. 39) or any servant or agent of such an undertaker or authority,
5 Exchange of information with overseas authorities (PROSPECTIVE)
6 Exchange of information by authorities administering benefit (E+W+S) (PROSPECTIVE)
In each of sections 122D(3) and 122E(4) of the Administration Act (power of the Secretary of State and Northern Ireland Department to require the supply of information by authorities administering housing or council tax benefit, and persons acting on their behalf) , for “prescribed” there shall be substituted “ specified in directions given by the Secretary of State or, as the case may be, the Northern Ireland Department ”.
7 Loss of benefit for commission of benefit offences
(a) a person (“the offender”) is convicted of one or more benefit offences in each of two separate sets of proceedings,
(b) the benefit offence, or one of the benefit offences, of which he is convicted in the later proceedings is one committed within the period of three years after the date, or any of the dates, on which he was convicted of a benefit offence in the earlier proceedings,
(c) the later set of proceedings has not been taken into account for the purposes of any previous application of this section or section 8 or 9 in relation to the offender or any person who was then a member of his family,
(d) the earlier set of proceedings has not been taken into account as the earlier set of proceedings for the purposes of any previous application of this section or either of those sections in relation to the offender or any person who was then a member of his family, and
(e) the offender is a person with respect to whom the conditions for an entitlement to a sanctionable benefit are or become satisfied at any time within the disqualification period,
(2) Subject to subsections (3) to (5) , the sanctionable benefit shall not be payable in the offender’s case for any period comprised in the disqualification period.
(3) Where the sanctionable benefit is income support, the benefit shall be payable in the offender’s case for any period comprised in the disqualification period as if the applicable amount used for the determination under section 124(4) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 (c. 4) of the amount of the offender’s entitlement for that period were reduced in such manner as may be prescribed.
(4) The Secretary of State may by regulations provide that, where the sanctionable benefit is jobseeker’s allowance, any income-based jobseeker’s allowance shall be payable, during the whole or a part of any period comprised in the disqualification period, as if one or more of the following applied—
(5) The Secretary of State may by regulations provide that, where the sanctionable benefit is housing benefit or council tax benefit, the benefit shall be payable, during the whole or a part of any period comprised in the disqualification period, as if one or both of the following applied—
(a) the rate of the benefit were reduced in such manner as may be prescribed;
(b) the benefit were payable only if the circumstances are such as may be prescribed.
(6) For the purposes of this section the disqualification period, in relation to the conviction of a person of one or more benefit offences in each of two separate sets of proceedings, means the period of thirteen weeks beginning with such date, falling after the date of the conviction in the later set of proceedings, as may be determined by or in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State.
(8) In this section— “benefit offence” means— (a) any post-commencement offence in connection with a claim for a disqualifying benefit; (b) any post-commencement offence in connection with the receipt or payment of any amount by way of such a benefit; (c) any post-commencement offence committed for the purpose of facilitating the commission (whether or not by the same person) of a benefit offence; (d) any post-commencement offence consisting in an attempt or conspiracy to commit a benefit offence; “disqualifying benefit” means (subject to any regulations under section 10(1) ) — (a) any benefit under the Jobseekers Act 1995 (c. 18) or the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (S.I. 1995/2705 (N.I. 15) ) ; (b) any benefit under the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 (c. 4) or the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (c. 7) other than— (b) (i) maternity allowance; (ii) working families’ tax credit; (iii) disabled person’s tax credit; and (iv) statutory sick pay and statutory maternity pay; (c) any war pension; “sanctionable benefit” means (subject to subsection (11) and to any regulations under section 10(1) ) any disqualifying benefit other than— (a) joint-claim jobseeker’s allowance; (b) any retirement pension; (c) graduated retirement benefit; (d) disability living allowance; (e) attendance allowance; (f) child benefit; (g) guardian’s allowance; (h) a payment out of the social fund in accordance with Part 8 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992; (i) a payment under Part X of that Act (Christmas bonuses).
(a) the date of a person’s conviction in any proceedings of a benefit offence shall be taken to be the date on which he was found guilty of that offence in those proceedings (whenever he was sentenced) ; and
(b) references to a conviction include references to a conviction in relation to which the court makes an order for a conditional discharge or a court in Scotland makes a probation order and to a conviction in Northern Ireland.
(10) In this section references to any previous application of this section or section 8 or 9—
(11) In its application to Northern Ireland this section shall have effect as if references to a sanctionable benefit were references only to a war pension.
C1 S. 7 restricted (1.4.2002) by S.I. 2001/4022, reg. 20
C2 S. 7(2) excluded (1.4.2002) by S.I. 2001/4022, regs. 6(2), 7(2)
C3 S. 7(9) applied (1.4.2002) by S.I. 2001/4022, reg. 2(2)
I2 S. 7 wholly in force at 1.4.2002; s. 7 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 20; s. 7 in force for specified purposes at 17.11.2001 and wholly in force at 1.4.2002 by S.I. 2001/3689, art. 2(1)(a)(b)
(b) the restriction in subsection (2) of section 7 would apply in the case of at least one of the members of the couple if the entitlement were an entitlement of that member to a sanctionable benefit.
(a) in the case of each of the members of the couple, the restriction in subsection (2) of section 7 would apply if the entitlement were an entitlement of that member to a sanctionable benefit; or
(b) that restriction would so apply in the case of one of the members of the couple and the other member of the couple—
(i) is subject to sanctions for the purposes of section 20A of the Jobseekers Act 1995 (c. 18) (denial or reduction of joint-claim jobseeker’s allowance) ; or
(ii) is a person in whose case the restriction in subsection (2) of section 62 of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000 (c. 19) would apply if the entitlement were an entitlement to a relevant benefit (within the meaning of that section).
(b) shall be payable only to the member of the couple who is not the person by reference to whose convictions section 7 would apply.
(4) The Secretary of State may by regulations provide in relation to cases to which subsection (2) would otherwise apply that joint-claim jobseeker’s allowance shall be payable in a couple’s case, during the whole or a part of so much of any period comprised in the disqualification period as falls within paragraph (a) or (b) of that subsection, as if one or more of the following applied—
(5) Subsection (6) of section 20A of the Jobseekers Act 1995 (c. 18) (calculation of reduced amount) shall apply for the purposes of subsection (3) above as it applies for the purposes of subsection (5) of that section.
C4 S. 8 restricted (1.4.2002) by S.I. 2001/4022, reg. 20
C5 S. 8(2)(3) excluded (1.4.2002) by S.I. 2001/4022, regs. 12(2), 13(2)
I3 S. 8 wholly in force at 1.4.2002; s. 8 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 20; s. 8 in force for specified purposes at 17.11.2001 and wholly in force at 1.4.2002 by S.I. 2001/3689, art. 2(1)(a)(b)
(c) housing benefit; and
(d) council tax benefit.
(b) that benefit falls to be paid in that person’s case for the whole or any part of a period comprised in a period (“the relevant period”) which is the disqualification period in relation to restrictions imposed under section 7 in the case of a member of that person’s family; or
(3) In relation to cases in which the benefit is income support, the provision that may be made by virtue of subsection (2) is provision that, in the case of the offender’s family member, the benefit shall be payable for the whole or any part of any period comprised in the relevant period as if the applicable amount used for the determination under section 124(4) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 (c. 4) of the amount of the offender’s entitlement for that period were reduced in such manner as may be prescribed.
(b) the allowance were payable only if there is compliance by the offender or the offender’s family member, or both of them, with such obligations with respect to the provision of information as may be imposed by the regulations;
(5) In relation to cases in which the benefit is housing benefit or council tax benefit, the provision that may be made by virtue of subsection (2) is provision that, in the case of the offender’s family member, the benefit shall be payable, during the whole or a part of any period comprised in the relevant period, as if one or both of the following applied—
C6 S. 9 excluded (1.4.2002) by S.I. 2001/4022, regs. 6(2), 7(2)
I4 S. 9 wholly in force at 1.4.2002; s. 9 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 20; s. 9 in force for specified purposes at 17.11.2001 and wholly in force at 1.4.2002 by S.I. 2001/3689, art. 2(1)(a)(b)
10 Power to supplement and mitigate loss of benefit provisions
(1) The Secretary of State may by regulations provide for any social security benefit to be treated for the purposes of sections 7 to 9—
(a) as a disqualifying benefit but not a sanctionable benefit; or
(b) as neither a sanctionable benefit nor a disqualifying benefit.
(2) The Secretary of State may by regulations provide for any restriction in section 7, 8 or 9 not to apply in relation to payments of benefit to the extent of any deduction that (if any payment were made) would fall, in pursuance of provision made by or under any enactment, to be made from the payments and paid to a person other than the offender or, as the case may be, a member of his family.
(a) any benefit under the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 (c. 4) or the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (c. 7) ; or
(b) any benefit under the Jobseekers Act 1995 (c. 18) or the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (S.I. 1995/2705 (N.I. 15) ) ;
(c) any war pension.
I5 S. 10 wholly in force at 1.4.2002; s. 10 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 20; s. 10 in force for specified purposes at 17.11.2001 and wholly in force at 1.4.2002 by S.I. 2001/3689, art. 2(1)(a)(b)
11 Loss of benefit regulations
(1) In sections 7 to 10 “prescribed” means prescribed by or determined in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State.
(2) Regulations under any of the provisions of sections 7 to 10 shall be made by statutory instrument which (except in the case of regulations to which subsection (3) applies) shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
(3) A statutory instrument containing (whether alone or with other provisions) —
(a) a provision by virtue of which anything is to be treated for the purposes of section 7 as a disqualifying benefit but not a sanctionable benefit,
(b) a provision prescribing the manner in which the applicable amount is to be reduced for the purposes of section 7(3) or 9(3) ,
(c) a provision the making of which is authorised by section 7(4) or (5) , 8(4) or 9(4) or (5) , or
(d) a provision prescribing the manner in which the amount of joint-claim jobseeker’s allowance is to be reduced for the purposes of section 8(3) (a) ,
(4) Subsections (4) to (6) of section 189 of the Administration Act (supplemental and incidental powers etc.) shall apply in relation to a power to make regulations that is conferred by any of the provisions of sections 7 to 10 as they apply in relation to the powers to make regulations that are conferred by that Act.
(5) The provision that may be made in exercise of the powers to make regulations that are conferred by sections 7 to 10 shall include different provision for different areas.
I6 S. 11 wholly in force at 1.4.2002; s. 11 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 20; s. 11 in force for specified purposes at 17.11.2001 and wholly in force at 1.4.2002 by S.I. 2001/3689, art. 2(1)(a)(b)
12 Consequential amendments (PROSPECTIVE)
(1) For paragraph (b) of section 63(2) of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000 (c. 19) (loss of benefit where one member of a joint-claim couple is in contravention of a community order) there shall be substituted—
“(b) that restriction would apply in the case of one of the members of the couple and the other member of the couple—
(ii) is a person in whose case the restriction in subsection (2) of section 8 of the Social Security Fraud Act 2001 (loss of benefit for offenders) would apply if the entitlement were an entitlement to a sanctionable benefit (within the meaning of that section).”
(2) In paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to the Social Security Act 1998 (c. 14) (decisions against which an appeal lies) , after sub-paragraph (e) there shall be inserted “; or
(f) section 7, 8 or 9 of the Social Security Fraud Act 2001.”
(3) In section 170 of Administration Act (functions of the Social Security Advisory Committee in relation to the relevant enactments and the relevant Northern Ireland enactments) , in subsection (5) —
(a) in the definition of “relevant enactments”, after paragraph (af) there shall be inserted—
“(ag) sections 7 to 11 of the Social Security Fraud Act 2001;”
(b) in the definition of “relevant Northern Ireland enactments”, after paragraph (af) there shall be inserted—
“(ag) any provisions in Northern Ireland which correspond to sections 7 to 11 of the Social Security Fraud Act 2001; and”.
E2 S. 12(1)(2) extends to Great Britain and s. 12(3) extends to U.K., see s. 21(2)