Part 3Social security administration: general

Benefit fraud

48Local authority functions relating to benefit: information

F1(1)

Section 122C of the Administration Act (supply of information to authorities administering benefit) is amended as follows—

(a)

in subsection (2) at the end insert “ or for the purposes of anything the authority is permitted to do in relation to any other benefit by virtue of section 110A or 116A above ”;

(b)

in subsection (3)(a) for “offences relating to housing benefit or council tax benefit” substitute “ benefit offences (within the meaning of Part 6 above) ”.

F1(2)

Section 122D of that Act (supply of information by authorities administering benefit) is amended as follows—

(a)

in subsection (1), for “benefit administration information” substitute “ relevant benefit information ”;

(b)

in subsection (2A), after “subsection (2)” insert “ , in addition to any other purpose for which the information may be used, ”;

(c)

for subsection (4) substitute—

“(4)

In subsection (1) “relevant benefit information”, in relation to an authority or other person, means any information which is relevant to the exercise of any function relating to a relevant social security benefit by the authority or other person.”;

(d)

in subsection (5), in each place where it occurs for “housing benefit or council tax benefit” substitute “ any relevant social security benefit ”;

(e)

in subsection (6), after the definition of “private pensions policy” insert—

““relevant social security benefit” has the same meaning as in section 121DA above;”.

F1(3)

Section 122E of that Act (supply of information between authorities administering benefit) is amended as follows—

(a)

in subsection (1) for “benefit administration information” substitute “ relevant benefit information ”;

(b)

in subsection (2)(a) for “offences relating to housing benefit or council tax benefit” substitute “ benefit offences (within the meaning of Part 6 above) ”;

(c)

for subsection (6) substitute—

“(6)

In this section “relevant benefit information”, in relation to an authority or other person, means any information which is relevant to the exercise of any function relating to a relevant social security benefit (within the meaning of section 121DA above) by the authority or other person.”

(4)

In section 126A of that Act (power to require information from landlords and agents), in subsection (8) for “benefit administration information” substitute “ relevant benefit information ”.