HC Deb 01 July 1993 vol 227 cc622-3W
Mr. Llwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will use his discretion under the crisis fund to convert all loans made necessary because of the recent flooding disaster into direct grants; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Scott

Help from the social fund may be available to people affected by the recent flooding principally in the form of discretionary crisis loans. Social fund community care grants are primarily intended to help promote care in the community and are not designed to be used for general disaster relief, although each application is considered on its merits.

Mr. Llwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to secure that invalidity benefit recipients affected by the recent flooding will be eligible for social fund loans.

Mr. Scott

Discretionary crisis loans are already available to invalidity benefit recipients where there is a serious risk to the health and safety of the applicant or their family and where such a loan is the only means of dealing with the crisis.

Mr. Llwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will bring forward proposals to pay

Sickness benefit recipients Invalidity benefit recipients
England Scotland England Scotland
31 January 1990 91,000 14,000 887,000 167,000
28 February 1990 88,000 13,000 889,000 168,000
31 March 1990 80,000 13,000 895,000 169,000
30 April 1990 86,000 15,000 909,000 170,000
31 May 1990 84,000 15,000 916,000 172,000
30 June 1990 86,000 15,000 922,000 173,000
31 July 1990 87,000 16,000 925,000 173,000
31 August 1990 83,000 15,000 935,000 175,000
29 September 1990 85,000 14,000 940,000 177,000
31 October 1990 89,000 13,000 943,000 178,000
30 November 1990 88,000 13,000 948,000 180,000
31 December 1990 91,000 14,000 959,000 181,000
31 January 1991 90,000 13,000 959,000 180,000
28 February 1991 90,000 13,000 963,000 181,000
30 March 1991 83,000 15,000 971,000 181,000
1991–92 120,000 1,365,000
1992–93 135,000 1,490,000

Notes:

1. Figures based on a 1 per cent. sample of claimants are at a point in time, not for the month as a whole, rounded to the nearest thousand.

2. Information in the form requested is not available for later than 30 March 1991. Figures for 1991–92 and 1992–93 come from the Departmental Report 1993.