Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ9: Obtaining CSSA payments by deception
Following is a question by the Ir Dr Hon Hon Chung-tai and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, in the Legislative Council today (March 5):
Question:
It has been reported that cases of obtaining Comprehensive Social Security Assistance ("CSSA') payments by deception have been increasing in recent years. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council
(a) of the total amount of CSSA payments that the CSSA recipients concerned obtained by deception in the past three years;
(b) of the average total value of assets owned by the CSSA recipients when they were found to have obtained CSSA payments by deception in the above cases; and
(c) whether further measures are in place to curb acts of obtaining CSSA payments by deception; it so, of the details?
Reply:
(a) Over the past three financial years (up to January 31, 2003), there have been a total of 923 Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) cases where fraud has been established by the Social Welfare Department (SWD). The total amount of overpayment involved was $45.3 Million, broken down as follows -
(i) 2000-01 : $13.2 Million (332 cases)
(ii) 2001-02 : $11.0 Million (236 cases)
(iii) 2002-03(up to 31 January 2003) : $21.1 Million (355 cases)
(b) SWD does not have statistical data on the average amount of assets held by CSSA recipients involved in the above fraudulent cases. According to SWD's records, the total number of established fraud cases with overpayment attributed to unreported or false reporting of assets during the past three financial years is 222 with details as follows:
(i) 2000-01: 68 cases
(ii) 2001-02: 59 cases
(iii) 2002-03(up to 31 January 2003): 95 cases
(c) SWD has reorganised and strengthened its Special Investigation Section to prevent and combat fraud and abuse of social security payment. With effect from April 1, 2002, there are four teams in the new Special Investigation Section. Two Fraud Investigation Teams handle referral of suspected fraud cases from social security field units and from members of the public who have reported information on suspected CSSA fraud cases through various channels like the "Report Fraud Hotline" and specially designed report forms. The Data-Matching Team conducts investigations into matched cases arising from SWD's regular data matching with nine different government departments and organisations to prevent possible fraud and overpayment, while the Random Check Team conducts full review with quality check on cases selected on a random basis. The findings will not only reveal individual cases of overpayment but will also be analysed with a view to helping SWD identify high risk case categories, and drawing up a risk control plan so that resources are directed towards cases with a higher risk of overpayment.
End/Wednesday, March 5, 2003
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