Fraud hotline gets 211,000 calls

The government claims to be winning the fight against benefit fraud

More than 211,000 calls to the benefit fraud hotline last year led to some 619 convictions, official figures show.

Some 44,127 investigations prompted by the calls led to 672 prosecutions, work and pensions minister Chris Pond revealed in a written answer.

He also said the hotline cost more than £1m to run over the same period (March 2003-April 2004).

He was responding to a written question from Liberal Democrat work and pensions spokesman Steve Webb.