§ Mr. Berminghamasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what provision exists through the Department of Health and Social Security to meet removal expenses of homeless persons on supplementary benefit at short notice who have been refused help by the local authority;
(2) whether he has any plans to allow for the provision of removal expenses for homeless families.
§ Mr. WhitneySubject to satisfying the normal conditions, homeless persons can receive help for removal expenses by way of single payments of supplementary benefit under the provisions of regulation 13 of the Supplementary Benefit (Single Payments) Regulations if they are being moved under the provisions of section 5(3) of the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 which covers the situation where the homeless person is moving from one local authority area to another where he has a close connection with the area of the receiving authority. Payments to other homeless persons can be made only under regulation 30 of the regulations where the adjudication officer is of the opinion that a single payment is the only means by which serious damage or serious risk to the health or safety of any member of the assessment unit may be prevented.