HC Deb 07 September 2004 vol 424 cc1113-4W
Mr. Woodward

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what resources the Government have made available to the Social Fund since 1997; whether the Government intends to increase the budget of the Social Fund; and if he will make a statement. [186866]

Mr. Pond

Additional resources have been made available to both the regulated and discretionary Social Fund since 1997.

In the regulated fund, which is not cash limited, Sure Start Maternity Grants have been introduced and are now worth £500; five times as much as the old maternity payment. Winter fuel payments, now worth £200, have been introduced to help older people meet fuel costs, and are available to around eight million households. From the winter of 2003–04 those households that include a person aged 80 or over receiving a winter fuel payment receive an additional £100.

The net budget for the discretionary Social Fund, which includes Community Care Grants, Budgeting Loans and Crisis Loans, has also increased since 1997, and will be increased by a further £90 million over the three years from April 2003.

The information is in the table.

Social Fund expenditure since 1997
£million
Discretionary Fund
Community

Care Grants

 Budgeting

Loans

 Crisis Loans
1997–98 97 311 54
1998–99 98 344 59
1999–2000 98 396 62
2000–01 100 435 65
2001–02 103 469 75
2002–03 108 462 85
2003–04 117 484 85

Regulated Fund
£ million
Maternity

Payments/

Sure Start

Maternity

Grants

 Funeral

Payments

 Cold

Weather

Payments

 Winter Fuel

Payments
1997–98 20 38 0.5 191
1998–99 18 39 0.2 194
1999–2000 17 38 1.0 759
2000–01 44 36 30 1,749
2001–02 61 38 15 1,692
2002–03 111 42 14 1,700
2003–04 120 47 4 1,931
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest £1 million, except for cold weather payments of £1.0 million or less which are rounded to the nearest £0.1 million.
2. Winter fuel payments expenditure for 2000–01 includes £94 million for retrospective entitlement due to extending winter fuel payments to all those aged 60 or over (with some exceptions) and £108 million for those entitled for the first time in 2000–01.
3. Winter fuel payments expenditure for 2003–04 includes expenditure on the 80+ payment. Winter fuel payment expenditure for 2003–04 is estimated.
Source:
Secretary of State's annual reports on the Social Fund, except expenditure for winter fuel payments, which is taken from Social Fund accounts