§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what written advice, notification, or information and what verbal advice, notification, or information is given by his Department's local offices to supplementary benefit claimants who enter the fuel direct arrangement.
§ Dr. BoysonParagraphs S9209 and S9210 and S9234 of the Department's S Manual (a copy of which is in the Library) set out the basic procedures to be undertaken by local office staff and the essential points of which the claimant should be advised when supplementary benefit claimants appear to lave difficulty meeting their fuel bills and when fuel direct deductions are instituted. There is no national standard form of notification to the claimant when fuel direct is introduced: different procedures are used in different offices. The Department is at present testing a microcomputer system for administration of the fuel direct scheme. If introduced generally, the microcomputer will be programmed to write a standard letter to the claimant based on existing best practice, explaining why he is to be on the fuel direct scheme and how much is to be deducted for payment to the fuel board, explaining the scheme, and advising him of his right of appeal and of the energy conservation measures which he can use to cut down his fuel bills.