HC Deb 18 April 2002 vol 383 cc1112-4W
Mr. Love

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the(a) budgeted and (b) actual expenditure on (i) grants and (ii) loans from the Social Fund in the Leaside district in each year since 1990 indicating the number and amount of applications in each case for each year; and if he will make a statement. [25750]

Malcolm Wicks

Since April 1997 the gross discretionary Social Fund budget has increased by £153.1 million from £467.5 million to £620.6 million, an increase of almost 33 per cent. The Community Care Grant budget, previously frozen since 1994 at £97 million, has increased three times since 1998 to its current level in 2001–02 of £103 million. There is no cash limit on the amount a person may apply for initially.

The available information is in the tables.

Leaside benefits agency district: Social Fund loans
Financial year Number of grant applications Amount applied for1 (£) Annual budget (£) Amount spent (£)
1998–99 18,803 11,434,358.20 4,143,626 4,032,679.15
1999–2000 20,583 12,579,494.70 4,662,581 4,604,114.43
2000–01 20,702 13,968,691.70 5,240,918 5,046,020.83
1 The "amount applied for" column includes applications which were unsuccessful.

Note:

Reliable data at district level is not available prior to 1995–96.

Source:

Social Fund Policy and Budget Management Information System.

Mr. Willetts

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the budget was for the Social Fund in 2000–01; and what the final outturn of expenditure was. [47763]

Malcolm Wicks

Details of the Social Fund budget are in the 'Annual Report by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the Social Fund: 2000–01' and the outturn of expenditure is in the 'Social Fund Account: 2000–01'. Copies of both publications are available in the Library.

Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for social fund payments have been subject to(a) an internal Benefits Agency review and (b) a review by the Independent Review Service in each year since 1992; what proportion of the reviews was successful; what the average waiting time was for each type of review; and if he will break down the applications by each type of social fund payment. [51044]

Malcolm Wicks

The available information is in the annual reports by the Secretary of State on the Social Fund and the Social Fund Commissioner's annual reports, copies of which are available in the Library.

Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for improving the training of Benefits Agency staff who deal with social fund applicants. [51050]

Malcolm Wicks

All staff engaged in administering the social fund undertake comprehensive training. We regularly review this training and it was last updated in January of this year. A further review of training is due to take place at the end of the year.

In addition, guidance on the social fund is regularly updated and social fund awareness training is provided to other staff not directly involved in social fund administration.

Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the guidance issued to Social Fund staff on the administration of the Social Fund since 1997. [51048]

Malcolm Wicks

Prior to January 1999 guidance to staff administering the Social Fund was in nine separate guides:

  • The Social Fund Guide——Volumes 1 and 2;
  • The Social Fund System Reference Guide volumes 1 to 7;
  • The Social Fund Customer and Application Detail Guide;
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  • The Social Fund Printed Output Guide;
  • The Social Fund Decision and Review Guide;
  • The Social Fund Breakdown of Recovery Guide;
  • The Social Fund Review Officers Guide;
  • The Social Fund Risk Management Guide; and
  • The Social Fund Funeral and Maternity Guide.

The guidance was restructured in January 1999. From that date, guidance on Social Fund legislation and the Secretary of State's directions for the non-regulated fund are set out in the new Social Fund Guide. Operations and procedural guidance is set out in the following volumes:

  • The Social Fund Budgeting Loan Guide;
  • The Social Fund Community Care Grant and Crisis Loan Guide;
  • The Social Fund Customer Guide;
  • The Social Fund Enquiry Guide;
  • The Social Fund Payment Guide;
  • The Social Fund Recovery Guide;
  • The Social Fund Regulated Fund Guide;
  • The Social Fund Review and Complaints Guide; and
  • The Social Fund Management Guide.

New guidance is circulated to staff in bulletins which are then incorporated into the main guides. 108 bulletins have been produced since January 1997.