§ Mrs. FyfeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many cases there were of applicants to the Benefits Agency seeking help with funeral bills in Scotland in 1993; and of these how many were refused on the grounds that the applicant already had repayments to make for a social fund loan or loans.
§ Mr. ScottThe administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Michael Bichard to Mrs. Maria Fyfe, dated 26 April 1994:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about requests for help with funeral bills in Scotland in 1993.I should explain that help with funeral bills can be provided from the Social Fund (SF) in the form of a Funeral Payment (FP). Applications for SF FPs are recorded when a decision (an award or refusal) is made. The number of decisions made in Scotland for the financial year 1993–94 was 11,395.With regard to the number of FP claims refused on the grounds that the customer was already repaying a SF loan, I should point out that the SF scheme is made up of two distinct and separate parts. The regulated part of the Fund is made up of Funeral Payments, Maternity Payments and Cold Weather Payments. The discretionary part of the Fund comprises Community Care Grants, Budgeting Loans and Crisis Loans. The qualifying conditions for the regulated SF are quite specific. Repayment of a loan from the discretionary part of the SF does not affect an application for a regulated payment. SF FPs are only recovered if there are sufficient funds in the deceased's estate. They are not recoverable from the person to whom they are awarded. Therefore, no FP claims were refused because the applicant was repaying a SF loan.I hope you find this reply helpful.