§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the possession of(a) a bank account or (b) a commercial credit card will disqualify victims of the Strathclyde floods who are not in receipt of income support from securing a crisis loan; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Roger EvansCrisis loans are available to people irrespective of whether they are in receipt of income support, to help in an emergency or a disaster, where it is the only means of preventing serious risk or damage to the applicant's or his family's health or safety.
Even where an applicant holds a credit card, or has a bank account, this need not be a barrier to making an application. Social fund officers take decisions on whether a crisis loan is payable, in doing so they consider all the circumstances surrounding the claim, including the availability of other resources to meet the need.
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§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what investigations he(a) conducted and (b) intends to conduct to assess the needs of the Strathclyde flood victims; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Roger EvansFollowing a meeting on 15 December 1994 with the hon. Member for Paisley, South and other representatives of the Strathclyde district, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security requested daily reports from each of the five Benefits Agency districts affected, detailing social fund expenditure for the flood victims. In addition, a benefit bus visited the worst-affected areas to offer advice; staff visited the flood centres where victims were being temporarily housed to pay out some money from the social fund and the local press detailed additional funds made available by the Secretary of State from the social fund.
§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action he is taking, or encouraging the Benefits Agency to take, to ensure that victims of the Strathclyde floods are(a) not encouraged and (b) actively discouraged from entering into contracts with loan sharks as the means of obtaining finance to re-establish their homes and lives.
§ Mr. Roger EvansAdditional funds of £120,000 were made available to the Benefits Agency district offices affected, specifically to provide assistance to those people in need of help as a result of the floods. So far, 526 awards have been made—421 grants and 105 loans totalling £108,217. Loans are interest free, and repayment rates are set taking into account the circumstances of each individual case. Those people who have received repayable loans will be able to arrange a sympathetic repayment rate appropriate to their circumstances.
§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will meet representatives of the insurance ombudsman and the British Association of Insurers to discuss outstanding issues relating to the floods in Strathclyde during December 1994; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Roger EvansMy right hon. Friend has not received a request for a meeting to discuss these issues, either from representatives of the insurance ombudsman or from the Association of British Insurers.
§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will detail the eligibility criteria applicable to victims of the Strathclyde floods who make application for(a) crisis loans and (b) grant assistance in respect of (i) immediate help to deal with the aftermath of flooding, (ii) help with making temporary accommodation habitable and (iii) help with establishing permanent accommodation as a warm, dry, comfortable home; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what assistance is available to Strathclyde flood victims who are (a) in receipt of income support and (b) not in receipt of income support for domestic fuel bills which are higher than normal due to the additional heating required to (i) dry out flooded homes, (ii) heat temporary accommodation, (iii) heat temporary accommodation while at the same time drying out flooded homes and (iv) make a realistic contribution to the additional fuel costs of host relatives or friends while continuing to pay the fuel costs of drying out flooded homes; and if he will make a statement;
299W(3) if he will detail the assistance available from the Benefits Agency for victims of the Strathclyde floods in respect of (a) immediate help to deal with the aftermath, (b) help with making temporary accommodation habitable and (c) help with establishing permanent accommodation as a warm, dry comfortable home for (i) people in receipt of income support and (ii) people not in receipt of income support; if he will also detail the particular help which might be available to people in both categories during all of the three phases, who are (1) insured and (2) not insured; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Roger EvansDisaster relief following flooding is essentially a matter for the relevant local authority. However, people receiving income support are eligible to apply for community care grants, budgeting loans and crisis loans from the social fund. Those people not receiving income support can apply for a crisis loan. Whether an applicant can receive a payment from the social fund is a matter for specially trained social fund officers to decide, using the Secretary of State's directions and guidance, area social fund officer guidance and their discretion. So far, 526 awards have been made—421 grants and 105 loans totalling £108,217.
Community care grants help those who might otherwise be in danger of going into care; or families who find themselves under exceptional pressure. Budgeting loans help spread the cost of expenses which may be difficult to meet from weekly benefit. Crisis loans are available to anyone in an emergency or a crisis, where they have no other means of preventing serious risk or damage to the health or safety of themselves or a member of their family. Social fund officers will consider whether other help is available, including money from insurance policies.
Awards made from the social fund to the flood victims may include help to meet immediate needs following the floods; pay higher domestic fuel bills incurred as a result of the floods and provide household items required to make their temporary and permanent home habitable.
§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will appoint named officers, at appropriately senior level, in(a) his Department and (b) the Benefits Agency to be responsible for all phases of assistance available to victims of the Stathclyde floods; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Roger EvansThe Benefits Agency's area director for the Glasgow and Paisley area, Mr. Archie Roy, is responsible for ensuring that all claims to the social fund from victims of the Strathclyde floods are properly dealt with and for liaison, as necessary, with the Department.
§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will detail the specific assistance which is available to claimants of the mobility or motability schemes' who lost vehicles under water in the Strathclyde floods of December 1994, with particular reference to eligibility for assistance under the loss of use scheme; what particular assistance is available to participating claimants who owned, rather than leased, their vehicles; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HagueMotability is an independent organisation. The administration of the scheme is wholly a matter for Motability and any questions on this issue should be directed to the director, Mr. Simon Willis.
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