Community Care (Hansard, 4 April 1989)

§ Mr. Livingstone
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what percentage of total budget of the Neasden integrated local office has been spent on community care grants;
(2) how many community care grant applications have been made and refused at the Neasden integrated local office;
(3) how much has been allocated for the 1989–90 budget from the social fund for community care grants at the Neasden integrated local office;
(4) how many social fund loans applications have been made and refused at the Neasden integrated local office.

§ Mr. Peter Lloyd
Information on the numbers of applications for social fund loans and grants processed and awarded, listed by local office, including information on budget allocations and expenditure, may be obtained from the details held in the Library.
170W

§ Ms. Mowlam
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the assumptions and bases on which the social fund community care grants budgets for the Department of Social Security ILOs of Redcar, Eston, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Stockton were set for the year 1989–90; and if he will give the reasons why four of these offices have received a lower budget than for the current financial year.

§ Mr. Peter Lloyd
The note that I placed in the Library on 22 February in response to the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, North (Mr. Burt) at column682 explains the basis on which the social fund allocations for 1988–89 were made.
The combined effect of the three components in the allocation formula ((i) 1988–89 allocations; (ii) income support caseload; (iii) value of awards and the estimated value of refusals for budgetary reasons) means that some offices will gain in 1989–90 in comparison with their 1988–89 allocations and some will lose.
171W
The allocation formula was applied in the same way to all local offices.

§ Ms. Mowlam
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will consider reducing the minimum award of social fund community care grant and budgeting loan payments in respect of fuel reconnection charges, in order to bring the minimum social fund awards into line with the typical reconnection charge.

§ Mr. Peter Lloyd
No, we believe that the existing arrangements already provide the necessary help.
People on income support are provided with a sum of money within which to budget for their everyday needs, in the same way as others on low incomes. Budgeting loans and community care grants are intended to help with larger items of expenditure. We consider £30 a reasonable sum for a person to accumulate from their benefit.
If a person runs into difficulties in meeting his fuel bills the Department can arrange to pay a certain amount of his income support direct to the fuel board so as to avoid disconnection. Where, however, a disconnection has taken place help is available in the form of a crisis loan which may be made if it is the only means of avoiding a risk to health and safety.