§ Mr. Buchanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the policy of his Department towards refusing single payment for a cooker, under regulation 30, on the grounds that the applicant does not require hot food; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MajorRegulation 30 provides that a single payment can be made if it is the only means of preventing serious risk to the health or safety of a member of the assessment unit. Whether a payment can be made in an individual case is a matter for the independent adjudicating authorities.
Guidance on the application of regulation 30 is issued by the chief adjudication officer in paragraphs 7521–7586 of the S manual and paragraph 19 of circular S20/86—copies of which are in the Library. These advise that serious risk can be assumed if there are no cooking facilities and there are children under two in the assessment unit, or hot meals are medically essential to a member of the assessment unit. Whether the absence of cooking facilities in other circumstances constitutes a serious risk will depend on the facts of the particular case.