§ Mr. HumeTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what figures are available on the number of social fund applications in each social security office in the year April 1988–89 which were made by claimants in receipt of family credit or housing benefit but not income support, and the number of payments, and their total value, made to such claimants.
§ Mr. Needham[holding answer 24 April 1989]: Information about the number of applications is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Housing benefit is not a qualifying benefit for maternity payments. Information about the number of payments and the amounts awarded is as follows:
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Social security office Funeral payments Maternity payment Awards Family credit Awards Housing benefit Awards Family credit £ £ £ Coleraine — — 9 4,511.07 28 2,370.00 Cookstown 2 645.70 3 1,721.50 32 2,720.00 Corporation Street — — 18 9,823.43 14 1,190.00 Downpatrick 2 698.00 5 1,569.80 22 1,870.00 Dungannon 7 3,863.00 3 1,400.00 35 3,145.00 Enniskillen 9 4,155.80 10 4,465.22 46 3,190.00 Falls — — 7 4,298.62 5 425.00 Holywood Road 5 2,261.99 12 5,649.51 19 1,615.00 Kilkeel 1 456.80 2 688.25 10 850.00 Knockbreda — — 13 7,862.23 10 850.00 Larne 1 156.42 8 4,460.65 9 765.00 Limavady 3 780.80 5 1,796.30 17 1,445.00 Lisburn 1 339.00 14 8,083.60 19 1,615.00 Londonderry 7 2,471.05 30 15,280.79 62 5,265.00 Lurgan — — 13 7,565.32 20 1,700.00 Magherafelt 6 2,780.00 1 471.00 37 3,145.00 Newcastle — — 3 1,004.65 13 1,105.00 Newry 2 948.85 20 9,350.00 56 4,760.00 Newtownabbey — — 5 2,466.56 6 510.00 Newtownhards 1 574.50 8 3,178.12 18 1,530.00 Omagh 6 3,369.30 6 2,962.00 45 4,165.00 Portadown 1 667.80 10 5,747.95 13 1,105.00 Shaftsbury Square — — 11 5,542.96 11 935.00 Shankill — — 4 1,550.29 6 510.00 Strabane 6 2,848.50 12 5,953.70 27 2,295.00
§ Mr. HumeTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what figures are available for the year April 1988–89 on the numbers and types of social fund applications from and payments, indicating the value of such payments, to claimants in receipt of income support who were in receipt of the respective income support premiums by social security office.
§ Mr. Needham[holding answer 24 April 1989]: Information in the form requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. HumeTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the extent to which his policies of(a) targeting and (b) making the social security system easier to understand have been fulfilled in the first year of full operation of the social fund; and what assessment he has made of the efficiency in management of the fund by social security offices.
§ Mr. Needham[holding answer 26 April 1989]: The Department of Health and Social Services is monitoring closely the operation of the social fund and has commissioned independent research. However, it is too soon to come to conclusions about the extent to which policies are meeting their objectives. The Department's monitoring indicates that the management of the social fund by social security offices is generally satisfactory.
§ Mr. HumeTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the 1989–90 social fund budget; how many people are on income support; and how many are in receipt of the respective income support premiums for each social security office.
§ Mr. Needham[holding answer 26 April 1989]: I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to questions about the 1989–90 social fund budget by the hon. Member for Redcar (Ms. Mowlam) on 23 March 1989, at columns 739–42.
At 28 February, the latest date for which information is available, there were 185,706 income support recipients in the Province. Information on the numbers of claimants
68Wreceiving each of the income support premiums by social security office is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. HumeTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provision has been made in respect of social fund I to take account of the local numbers in receipt of family credit or housing benefit, but not income support, who might make social fund I applications.
§ Mr. Needham[holding answer 26 April 1989]: None. Maternity and funeral payments made under phase 1 of the social fund are regulated payments paid as an entitlement and are not affected by local social security office budgets.
§ Mr. HumeTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate the number of appeals regarding social fund I which have been made in each social security office in each year of its operation to date and indicating the number of these which were successful.
§ Mr. Needham[holding answer 26 April 1989]: Information about the number of appeals for the period 6 April 1987 to 10 April 1988 is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Information for the period 11 April 1988 to 31 March 1989, (the latest date for which information is available), is as follows:
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Social Fund phase I (maternity and funeral expenses) Number of appeals received 11 April 1988–31 March 1989
Social security office Number of appeals received Number revised Pending Andersonstown 2 — 2 Antrim 2 2 — Armagh — — — Ballymena 4 2 — Ballynahinch — — — Banbridge 1 1 — Bangor — — —
Social security office Number of appeals received Number revised Pending Carrickfergus — — — Coleraine 5 3 — Cookstown 3 2 — Corporation Street 2 — 1 Downpatrick — — — Dungannon — — — Enniskillen 4 3 1 Falls 8 8 — Holywood Road — — — Kilkeel — — — Knockbreda 2 1 — Larne — — — Limavady — — — Lisburn 3 3 — Londonderry 12 10 2 Lurgan 1 — — Magherafelt 1 — 1 Newcastle 2 2 — Newry 6 5 — Newtownabbey — — — Newtownards — — — Omagh — — — Portadown 2 — — Shaftesbury Square — — — Shankill 2 — — Strabane — — —
§ Mr. HumeTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate the numbers of reviews sought by claimants in respect of social fund II decisions, the number of cases where the decision changed on review, the numbers which had a second review and the numbers where the decision changed on second review by social security office.
§ Mr. Needham[holding answer 26 April 1989]: The information for the period 11 April 1988 to 31 March 1989, the latest date for which information is available, is given in the table. Some review applications were withdrawn following receipt and some are currently being considered.
Number of applications for first review by social security offices: 11 April 1988–31 March 1989
Received Revised Community Care Grants 1,932 663 Budgeting Loans 5,740 1,838 Crisis Loans 526 230 Total 8,198 2,731 Information about the number and outcome of applications for a second review by social security offices is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.