HC Deb 15 July 2003 vol 409 cc250-1W
Mr. Willetts

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what proportion of rejected applications to the Social Fund for(a) budgeting loans and (b) crisis loans have been overturned on appeal in each year since 1997; [110912]

(2) how many applications there have been to the Social Fund for (a) budgeting loans and (b) crisis loans in each year since 1997; and how many have been rejected in each of th Dse years. [110921]

Mr. Pond

An applicant to the discretionary Social Fund who is dissatisfied with the decision on their application has the right to have the decision reviewed.

An internal reviewing officer carries out the initial review at local level, and the applicant is notified of the outcome. Applicants who remain dissatisfied with the result of the local review can ask for a further review by an independent Social Fund Inspector.

Information on the number and proportion of applications initially refused, but which resulted in awards following review is not available. Information on the number of applications made and the number which were initially refused is in the table.

Social Fund loan applications and refusals 1996–97 to 2002–03
Budgeting loan applications Budgeting loan refusals Crisis loan applications Crisis loan refusals
1996–97 1,339,000 475,000 1,022,000 233,000
1997–98 1,330,000 494,000 1,057,000 230,000
1998–99 1,327,000 442,000 1,135,000 247,000
1999–2000 1,680,000 647,000 1,294,000 336,000
2000–01 1,724,000 531,000 1,292,000 342,000
2001–02 1,748,000 460,000 1,330,000 317,000
2002–03 1,774,000 466,000 1,391,000 305,000

Notes:

  1. 1. If an application is initially refused, but an award is subsequently made on review, the case will still be counted as an (initial) refusal in the table.
  2. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.

Source:

DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System