§ Mr. BayleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of income support recipients are now having deductions made from benefits as a result of384W paying back social fund loans (a) nationally, (b) by territory, and (c) in each Department of Social Security-Benefits Agency district.
§ Mr. BurtThe administration of income support is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Letter from Mr. M. Bichard to Mr. Hugh Bayley, dated 26 April 1993:
As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking, what percentage of Income Support recipients are now having deductions made from benefits as a result of paying back Social Fund loans (a) nationally, (b) by territory, and (c) in each Department of Social Security-Benefits Agency district.It is not possible to provide this information as it is not collected as a matter of routine; also records relate to applications rather than applicants. I can, however, advise you that at 31 March 1993, some 680,000 loans nationally were being repaid from various sources. In the main, this was by deduction from Income Support.I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy of this letter will appear in the Official Report and a copy will be placed in the Library.