§ 60. Mr. WallaceTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Social Security Act 1986.
§ Mr. ScottImplementation of the Social Security Act 1986 is well advanced. Indications from our own local officers are that the process of implementation is going well. Introduction of the new family credit is on course and new cases will be accepted from the beginning of March. Existing supplementary benefit cases are now being reassessed for conversion to income support. The social fund manual was published in November, social fund officers are now being trained and local office budgets have been allocated. Preliminary results from a survey of progress in local authorities indicate that the majority of local authorities expect to implement the reform of housing benefit on time.