§ Mr. Simeonsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average time between a woman reporting loss of her family allowance book to her local office of the Department and payments being recommenced.
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§ Mr. DeanThe average interval between a report to the Department of the loss of a family allowances order book and the issue of a replacement book is 17 working days.
§ Mr. Simeonsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what instructions he has issued so that the mother of a large family who has lost her family allowance book may receive immediate help in meeting her family commitments
§ Mr. DeanMy Department's local social security offices have instructions in these circumstances to make urgent payments of supplementary benefit, as may be appropriate in the individual mother's circumstances, and to offset them against payments of family allowance which would otherwise have been made.
§ Mr. Simeonsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will issue, in simple form, advice to mothers of large families so that in the event of loss of the family allowance book they may not be put at a financial disadvantage through inability to draw family allowances.
§ Mr. DeanAdvice appropriate to the individual mother's circumstances is always available on request at my Department's local social security offices.