HC Deb 13 July 1988 vol 137 cc245-51W
Mr. Hume

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the number and total value of social fund payments in each social security office in Northern Ireland from April 1987 to April 1988.

Mr. Needham

[holding answer 7 July 1988]: The available information is as follows:

Social Fund payments
6 April 1987 to 8 April 1988
Social security office Total Total paid
Number £
Andersonstown 476 67,370
Antrim 363 50,614
Armagh 380 67,361
Ballymena 389 58,230
Ballymoney 330 56,955
Ballynahinch 80 11,092
Banbridge 238 46,381
Bangor 204 33,266
Carrickfergus 187 26,683
Coleraine 306 44,352
Cookstown 317 62,740
Corporation Street 772 117,957
Downpatrick 196 23,207
Dungannon 396 79,943

From 11 April 1988 to 31 May 1988
Social Security Office Awards Amounts Budget
Budget Loans Crisis Loans Community Care Grants Total Loans (£) Grants (£) Total (£) Loans (£) Grants (£) Total (£)
Andersonstown 100 61 34 195 32,790.33 4,835.05 37,625.38 96,883.83 50,577.08 147,460.91
Antrim 154 97 12 263 39,538.07 3,644.25 43,182.32 46,161.97 19,583.00 65,744.97
Armagh 13 18 16 47 3,959.40 2,793.09 6,752.49 34,724.18 18,304.88 53,029.06
Ballymena 92 70 6 168 25,455.18 863.00 26,318.18 40,650.92 21,477.97 62,128.89
Ballymoney 42 16 3 61 10,887.58 215.72 11,103.30 29,033.37 15,351.95 44,385.32
Ballynahinch 10 3 5 18 1,984.24 1,392.80 3,377.04 4,492.86 2,429.48 6,922.34
Banbridge 11 8 2 21 4,567.34 129.60 4,696.94 17,066.54 9,110.79 26,177.33
Bangor 61 37 25 123 13,764.13 7,272.12 21,036.25 18,889.72 10,056.67 28,946.39
Carrickfergus 51 42 19 112 14,337.78 3,726.05 18,063.83 17,647.97 9,283.34 26,931.31
Coleraine 72 54 17 143 15,174.75 8,007.25 23,182.00 45,768.93 24,079.54 69,848.47
Cookstown 34 19 13 66 9,297.71 3,451.40 12,749.11 27,902.28 14,600.11 42,502.39
Corporation Street 107 142 15 264 31,446.01 6,517.12 37,963.13 115,667.90 60,615.29 176,283.19
Downpatrick 31 29 17 77 7,542.66 358.41 7,901.07 17,615.43 9,300.74 26,916.17
Dungannon 30 21 11 62 12,694.23 2,261.90 14,956.13 43,372.34 22,962.73 66,335.07
Enniskillen 29 21 3 53 6,824.79 2,368.20 9,192.99 32,389.43 17,401.26 49,790.69
Falls 108 137 12 257 25,388.01 1,119.65 26,507.66 80,591.58 42,174.01 122,765.59
Holywood Road 103 60 22 185 24,735.21 4,655.15 29,390.36 52,259.04 27,651.54 79,910.58
Kilkeel 5 0 15 20 1,486.95 865.92 2,352.87 5,317.12 2,844.48 8,161.60
Knockbreda 49 20 17 86 12,525.39 4,469.65 16,995.04 28,513.47 15,317.34 43,830.81
Larne 61 36 5 102 13,365.61 615.40 13,981.01 17,310.01 9,031.00 26,341.00
Limavady 46 3 21 70 11,116.21 3,347.31 14,463.52 16,239.00 7,839.95 24,078.95
Lisburn 196 40 22 258 46,508.15 4,844.10 51,352.25 77,658.53 41,383.28 119,041.81
Londonderry 42 68 41 151 15,475.60 16,821.53 32,297.13 125,006.50 65,191.47 190,197.97
Lurgan 19 72 18 109 8,449.98 1,005.92 9,455.90 90,950.64 47,849.89 138,800.53
Magherafelt 13 13 37 63 3,540.19 9,337.76 12,877.95 46,790.00 24,623.00 71,413.00
Newcastle 7 12 7 26 1,968.37 326.60 2,294.97 8,252.36 4,374.79 12,627.15
Newry 36 23 38 97 11,267.14 5,256.05 16,523.19 74,819.00 39,297.00 114,116.00
Newtownabbey 68 137 25 230 18,710.69 1,500.70 20,211.39 29,128.80 15,434.36 44,563.16
Newtownards 28 21 4 53 7,220.10 675.50 7,895.60 15,301.45 8,170.92 23,472.37

Social security office Total Total
Number £
Enniskillen 478 80,383
Falls Road 754 134,005
Holywood Road 443 73,800
Kilkeel 107 18,406
Knockbreda 251 38,404
Larne 179 27,212
Limavady 281 40,543
Lisburn 315 63,859
Londonderry 1,327 201,731
Lurgan 457 86,173
Magherafelt 329 59,677
Newcastle 129 18,705
Newry 658 106,904
Newtownabbey 285 41,998
Newtownards 243 36,032
Omagh 384 61,439
Portadown 212 42,848
Shaftesbury Square 323 50,771
Shankill 303 51,103
Strabane 471 93,465
TOTALS 12,563 2,073,609

Because of industrial action in June 1987 the figures are incomplete. Five offices having failed to provide information.

Mr. Hume

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what were the claims to the social fund and loans and grants paid by the social fund in each social security office since 11 April; and what was the budget for that period;

(2) what is the number and value of community care grants made by each social security office since 11 April.

Mr. Needham

[holding answer 8 July 1988]: Details of the claims to the social fund were given in my reply of 8 July 1988. Information about the numbers and amounts of awards and the budgets for the period 11 April 1986 to 31 May 1988 (the latest date for which information is available) is given in the table.

Social Security Office Awards Amounts Budget
Budget Loans Crisis Loans Community Care Grants Total Loans (£) Grants (£) Total (£) Loans /£) Grants (£) Total (£)
Omagh 43 19 6 68 15,028.34 1,110.60 16,138.94 42,535.49 22,381.65 64,917.14
Portadown 20 34 18 72 7,382.20 3,020.00 10,402.20 22,448.30 11,960.00 34,408.30
Shaftesbury Square 50 80 14 144 15,122.46 4,773.89 19,896.35 62,607.70 32,745.25 95,352.95
Shankill 114 105 18 237 33,131.76 2,928.11 36,059.87 40,636.26 21,613.19 62,249.45
Strabane 42 26 15 83 13,251.39 4,852.47 18,103.86 43,033.40 22,689.39 65,722.79
TOTAL 1,887 1,544 553 3,984 515,937.95 119,362.27 635,300.22 1,467,666.31 767,707.34 2,235,373.65

Ms. Mowlam

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list by office for each complete month since the introduction of the social fund the actual expenditure and the expenditure as a percentage of the monthly budget on budgeting loans, crisis loans and community care grants.

Expenditure on Budgeting and Crisis Loans
11 April—30 April 1988
May 1988
Social Security Office Expenditure As a Percentage of Profile Expenditure As a Percentage of Profile
Andersonstown 5,827.41 32.33 26,962.92 34.19
Antrim 7,105.88 82.08 32,432.19 86.47
Armagh 115.91 1.80 3,843.49 13.58
Ballymena 1,674.15 22.17 23,781.03 71.84
Ballymoney 2,093.59 38.72 8,793.99 37.21
Ballynahinch 1,984.24 54.18
Banbridge 455.26 14.38 4,112.08 29.58
Bangor 1,712.73 48.61 12,051.40 78.42
Carrickfergus 1,487.80 45.22 12,849.98 89.49
Coleraine 3,669.81 43.02 11,504.94 30.89
Cookstown 931.14 17.98 8,366.57 36.81
Corporation Street 3,827.13 17.82 27,618.88 29.31
Downpatrick 491.30 15.03 7,051.36 49.14
Dungannon 2,749.60 34.07 9,944.63 28.16
Enniskillen 740.65 12.33 6,084.14 23.05
Falls 5,004.25 33.37 20,383.76 31.07
Holywood Road 3,937.69 40.45 20,797.52 48.90
Kilkeel 1,486.95 35.79
Knockbreda 1,704.91 30.17 10,820.48 47.32
Larne 943.45 28.97 12,422.16 88.38
Limavady 605.00 21.28 10,511.21 78.46
Lisburn 10,135.71 69.73 36,372.44 57.62
Londonderry 3,139.42 13.54 12,336.18 12.11
Lurgan 3,182.65 18.85 5,267.33 7.11
Magherafelt 816.42 9.41 2,723.77 7.14
Newcastle 110.76 7.24 1,857.61 27.62
Newry 2,017.05 14.53 9,250.09 15.17
Newtownabbey 3,325.53 61.07 15,38516 64.96
Newtownards 727.55 25.59 6,492.55 52.11
Omagh 445.24 5.65 14,583.10 42.07
Portadown 485.00 11.65 6,897.20 37.71
Shaftesbury Square 2,547.43 21.91 12,575.03 24.66
Shankill 4,208.20 55.45 28,923.56 87.51
Strabane 2,406.03 30.07 10,845.36 30.95

Expenditure on Community Care Grants
11 April—30 April 1988 May 1988
Social security office Expenditure As a per cent, of profile Expenditure As a per cent, of profile
Andersonstown 1,313.10 13.99 3,521.95 8.54
Antrim nil nil 3,644.25 24.22
Armagh nil nil 2,793.09 18.72
Ballymena 6.00 0.15 857.00 4.89
Ballymoney nil nil 215.72 1.72
Ballynahinch nil nil 1,392.80 70.36
Banbridge nil nil 129.60 1.74
Bangor 1,675.60 88.75 5,596.52 68.51
Carrickfergus 1,012.65 58.36 2,713.40 35.94
Coleraine 1,090.00 24.36 6,917.25 35.28
Cookstown 1,260.80 46.31 2,190.60 18.44
Corporation Street 2,595.00 23.05 3,922.12 7.94

Mr. Needham

[holding answer 11 July 1988]: Social security offices do not have monthly budgets but managers do draw up monthly profiles of anticipated expenditure. On the basis of these profiles, the information for the periods 11 to 30 April 1988 and 1 to 31 May 1988 (the latest date for which information is available) is given in the table.

April—30 April 1988 May 1988
Social security office Expenditure As a per cent, of profile Expenditure As a per cent, of profile
Downpatrick 140.61 8.16 217.80 2.87
Dungannon 229.00 5.38 2,032.90 10.86
Enniskillen nil nil 2,368.20 16.69
Falls 521.40 6.67 598.25 1.74
Holywood Road 1,564.99 30.43 3,090.16 13.72
Kilkeel nil nil 865.92 38.96
Knockbreda 2,061.95 67.47 2,407.70 19.63
Larne 23.50 1.38 591.90 8.07
Limavady 1,325.00 90.01 2,022.31 31.75
Lisburn 892.00 11.62 3,952.10 11.72
Londonderry 69.02 0.57 16,752.51 31.53
Lurgan 187.60 2.11 818.32 2.09
Magherafelt 1,150.42 25.14 8,187.34 40.83
Newcastle 164.60 20.27 162.00 4.54
Newry 929.80 12.75 4,326.25 13.51
Newtonabbey 23.00 0.80 1,477.70 11.74
Newtownards 390.00 25.69 285.50 4.29
Omagh 550.00 13.24 560.60 3.07
Portadown 485.00 21.91 2,535.00 26.00
Shaftesbury Square 990.00 16.28 3,783.89 14.19
Shankill 340.80 8.50 2,587.31 14.69
Strabone nil nil 4,852.47 26.24

Ms. Mowlam

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list by office for each complete month since the introduction of the social fund the types of needs for which budgeting loans, crisis loans and community care grants were awarded and the number of awards falling under each type of need, and the proportion of expenditure on budgeting loans and crisis loans provided to assist(a) claimants making new and fresh applications for income support who are being paid in arrears, (b) payments towards board and lodging expenses and (c) payments towards rent in advance.

Mr. Needham

[holding answer 11 July 1988]: Information in the form requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Ms. Mowlam

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list by office for each complete month since the introduction of the social fund the number of applications for budgeting loans, crisis loans and community care grants rejected and the reasons for such rejection, and the number of applications rejected on the grounds of inability to repay(a) crisis loans and (b) budgeting loans, and the status of those rejected, including the number of pensioners, unemployed and single parents who were rejected.

Mr. Needham

[holding answer 11 July 1988]: The numbers of applications for budgeting loans, crisis loans and community care grants which have been rejected during the periods 11–30 April 1988 and 1–31 May 1988 (the latest date for which information is available) are shown in the table.

Applications Rejected—May 1988
Social security office Budgeting Loans Crisis Loans Community care grants Total
Andersonstown 23 4 7 34
Antrim 53 2 2 57
Armagh 9 1 9 19
Ballymena 51 nil 1 52
Ballymoney 13 1 1 15
Ballynahinch 3 1 2 6
Banbridge 3 nil 2 5
Bangor 19 nil 4 23
Carrickfergus 32 2 9 43

Social security office Budgeting Loans Crisis Loans Community care grants Total
Coleraine 30 5 4 39
Cookstown 6 nil 5 11
Corporation Street 30 1 14 45
Downpatrick 9 nil 7 16
Dungannon 4 nil 3 7
Enniskillen 8 4 12 24
Falls 30 nil 4 34
Holywood Road 29 5 8 42
Kilkeel 2 nil 2 4
Knockbreda 45 nil 5 50
Larne 33 1 2 36
Limavady 29 10 13 52
Lisburn 75 nil 2 77
Londonderry 27 1 33 61
Lurgan 9 7 9 25
Magherafelt 6 nil nil 6
Newcastle 2 nil 3 5
Newry 17 6 14 37
Newtonabbey 33 1 12 46
Newtownards 11 nil 3 14
Omagh 5 nil 4 9
Portadown 20 nil 7 27
Shaftesbury Square 32 3 9 44
Shankill 100 2 7 109
Strabane 11 nil 2 13
Total 809 57 221 1,087

Applications rejected: April 1988
Social security office Budgeting loans Crisis loans Community care grants Total
Andersonstown 2 4 6 12
Antrim 26 nil 1 27
Armagh 1 nil nil 1
Ballymena 7 nil 1 8
Ballymoney 5 2 1 8
Ballynahinch nil nil nil nil
Banbridge 4 nil nil 4
Bangor 12 1 3 16
Carrickfergus 14 3 6 23
Coleraine 17 7 1 25
Cookstown 2 nil 2 4
Corporation Street 7 6 1 14
Downpatrick 1 2 2 5
Dungannon 3 nil nil 3
Enniskillen 4 1 2 7

Social security office Budgeting loans Crisis loans Community care grants Total
Falls 5 1 nil 6
Holywood Road 8 2 1 11
Kilkeel nil 2 nil 2
Knockbreda 4 6 1 11
Larne 3 nil nil 3
Limavady 2 8 nil 10
Lisburn 8 nil nil 8
Londonderry 2 1 4 7
Lurgan 5 7 1 13
Magherafelt nil nil nil nil
Newcastle 3 2 3 8
Newry 6 nil 4 10
Newtonabbey 11 7 5 23
Newtownards 5 2 nil 7
Omagh nil nil nil nil
Portadown nil 2 nil 2
Shaftesbury Square 1 7 nil 8
Shankill 8 2 5 15
Strabane 7 1 nil 8
Total 183 76 50 309