§ 28. Mr. Sean Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the recent submission by his officers to an appeal tribunal hearing an application for a single payment for clothing which suggested that children could be kept at home if no such grant were made.
§ Mr. WhitneyGuidance on the interpretation of the supplementary benefit regulations, including advice on submissions to social security appeal tribunals, is a matter for the Chief Adjudication Officer, while decisions on individual claims are made, in the first instance, by local adjudication officers, subject to the right of appeal.
Single payments of supplementary benefit can he made for, among other items, children's clothing and footwear under regulation 30 of the Single Payments Regulations where in the adjudication officer's opinion the absence of such a payment would lead to serious damage or serious risk to health or safety. Guidance on the application of regulation 30 is in paragraph 7546 of the "S" manual—a copy of which is in the Library. This advises that the fact that a child (whatever its state of health) has to stay away from school for a period while steps are taken to obtain the item will not in itself constitute a serious risk to health. It is not the intention that a child should remain at home indefinitely if the means of satisfying the need are not available from another source. If the hon. Member has a particular case in mind I would be grateful if he would let me have the details.