F1 Forms (Financial Assistance)

Summary

The Department of Health and Social Care responded to a request for data on F1 financial assistance forms for dental and glasses, providing statistics on applications and fraud checks while noting that financial audits are held by the Treasury.

Key Facts

• No F1 forms were found to be fraudulent during the period covered.
• Officers can only perform limited checks to verify if applicants are in receipt of benefits.
• Financial audits for the years 2012 to 2016 are not held by the Department of Health and Social Care.
• The department is considering transferring F1 application processing to the Social Security Division.
• The F1 form currently states DHSC, though older versions may incorrectly state DHSS.

Data Disclosed

• Apr 12
• 2012
• 2013
• 2014
• 2015
• 2016
• 2017-01-10
• 2017-02-03
• 0
• Annex 1
• Annex 2

Data Tables (2)

Full Response Text

Department of Health and Social Care Rheynn Slaynt as Kiarail y Theay Page 1 of 3 FOIA/DHSC/13 RE: Freedom of Information Act 2015 Thank you for your request dated 10th January 2017 You asked for: I would like answers to the following questions please: Question 1 Question 2 Question 3 Question 4 Question 5 For the financial years from Apr 12 to date, how many people have submitted the F1 form to family practitioners to receive financial assistance for dental treatment or glasses? Broken down by category , dental, glasses or both if the F1 form wanted assistance for both From the totals to question 1 how many applications were accepted or refused? Broken down by financial Year It states that officers check the financial details provided on the F1 form:
(a) What benefit or income systems are checked to ensure the applications are correct? (b)
What is the total number of F1 forms found to be fraudulent as per Question 1 (c) What is the threshold amount to receive financial assistance? Provide copies of the financial audits for the years 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 to confirm compliance that the F1 forms are factually correct Why does the F1 form state DHSS? We are pleased to be able to provide a response to your request with answers to your questions: Question 1 For the financial years from Apr 12 to date, how many people have submitted the F1 form to family practitioners to receive financial assistance for dental treatment or glasses? Broken down by category , dental, glasses or both if the F1 form wanted assistance for both Question 2 From the totals to question 1 how many applications were accepted or refused? Broken down by financial Year Answers to Question 1 and 2 are attached in Annex 1. Chief Executive Malcolm Couch Department of Health & Social Care Chief Executive’s Office Crookall House Demesne Road Douglas Isle of Man, IM1 3QA Direct Dial No: (01624) 656071 Email: FOI.DHSC@gov.im Website: www.gov.im/dhss Date: 3rd February 2017 FOI Reference:
IM73428I

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FOIA/DHSC/13 Question 3 It states that officers check the financial details provided on the F1 form:

(a) What benefit or income systems are checked to ensure the applications are correct?

(b) What is the total number of F1 forms found to be fraudulent as per Question 1

(c) What is the threshold amount to receive financial assistance?

(a) Officers of the DHSC are only able to carry out limited checks in terms of the financial detail provided - they are able to check if someone is in receipt of benefit. Officers of the DHSC are in communication with the Social Security Division about whether applications in relation to the F1 scheme would sit better with the Social Security Division rather than DHSC.

(b) No F1 forms were found to be fraudulent.

(c) The threshold limits are attached at Annex 2.

Question 4 Provide copies of the financial audits for the years 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 to confirm compliance that the F1 forms are factually correct.

Information not held, you may wish to contact the following Government Department:

Treasury Audit Advisory Division 1st Floor Government Office Bucks Road, Douglas Isle of Man, IM1 3PU
Telephone: +44 1624 686552

However as previously explained the Department is in communication with the Social Security Division to see if processing of F1 applications sits better with that Division.

Question 5 Why does the F1 form state DHSS?

The F1 form held within Family Practitioner Services Section says DHSC rather than DHSS. It is possible that some old forms are held elsewhere and the Division will make reasonable attempts to ensure that anyone holding these forms is provided the most up to date version.

Your right to request a review
If you are unhappy with this response to your Freedom of Information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and

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FOIA/DHSC/13 submitting it electronically or by delivery/post to the FOI Co-ordinator, Department of Health & Social Care, Chief Executive’s Officer, Crookall House, Demesne Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 3QA.
An electronic version and paper version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/freedom-of-information/how-to-make-a- freedom-of-information-request/ Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.
If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on;
01. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act; or
02. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision.
Further information about Freedom of Information requests can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at: https://www.inforights.im/information-centre/freedom-of- information. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact us. Yours Sincerely

Freedom of Information Team Department of Health and Social Care

Department of Health & Social Care - Family Practitioner Services - Form F1

Number of F1's received in relation to Dental treatment Number of dental F1s approved Number of dental F1s refused Number of optical F1s received Number of optical F1s approved Number of optical F1s refused Number of claims that were for both dental and opthalmic Number for both applications that were approved Number for both applications that were refused 2012-13 69 51 18 89 67 22 34 25 9 2013-14 117 91 26 119 78 41 39 26 13 2014-15 119 86 33 221 111 110 52 30 22 2015-16 150 117 33 241 129 112 53 34 19 2016-17 to date 155 136 19 159 67 92 40 26 14 F1 – Thresholds to receive financial assistance

Householder

Age

Allowance

A single claimant householder (homeowner)

Age under 60

£105.28

Age over 60

£140.85

Single claimant if not a householder (tenant)

Age under 18

£82.92

Age 18 – 60

£98.76

Age over 60

£120.81

Either a claimant or a partner is:

Age under 60

£165.04

Age over 60

£202.93

Age over 65

£209.27

Threshold per child

Age under 5

£26.08

Age 5 -11

£32.14

Age over 11

£38.20

Capital disregard

Total Above:

13,000.00