HC Deb 28 November 1988 vol 142 cc93-4W
Mrs. Beckett

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will publish in theOfficial Report the advice issued to regional and local offices by Branch RD22 of his Department on how to reply to letters from hon. Members regarding the low level of spending on community care grants; and why it was considered necessary to issue such advice.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

In order to ensure that letters from local offices to hon. Members are as helpful as possible, regions were reminded in July of general advice on the handling of correspondence and of the following points about social fund budget management—local office budgets are annual, not monthly —the overall aim is, within the framework of the law, directions and guidance, to use the local office

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h)
Date M/C UB rate £ Dep increase £ Child Benefit/ Family allowance £ Total child1 support £ Column (e) as percentage of column (b) £ Column (e) expressed at APR 1988 prices2 £ Column (g) as index APR 1988 = 100
5 July 1948 2.10 0.375 0.25 0.625 29.8 8.35 57.6
30 August 1951 2.10 0.625 0.25 0.875 41.7 9.94 68.6
24 July 1952 2.70 0.65 0.25 0.90 33.3 9.45 65.2
19 May 1955 3.25 0.75 0.40 1.15 35.4 11.33 78.1
6 February 1958 4.00 1.10 0.40 1.50 37.5 13.11 90.4
6 April 1961 4.625 1.35 0.40 1.75 37.8 14.53 100.2
7 March 1963 5.45 1.60 0.40 2.00 36.7 15.44 106.5
28 January 1965 6.50 1.85 0.40 2.25 34.6 16.45 113.4
28 October 1967 7.30 2.10 0.40 2.50 34.2 16.72 115.3
11 April 1968 7.30 2.05 0.75 2.80 38.4 17.96 123.9
10 October 1968 7.30 1.90 0.90 2.80 38.4 17.73 122.3
6 November 1969 8.10 2.20 0.90 3.10 38.3 18.59 128.2
23 September 1971 9.70 2.28 0.90 3.70 38.1 19.05 131.4
5 October 1972 10.90 3.30 0.90 4.20 38.5 19.93 137.4
4 October 1973 11.90 3.70 0.90 4.60 38.7 19.86 137.0
25 July 1974 13.90 4.50 0.90 5.40 38.8 20.55 141.7
7 April 1975 15.90 4.70 1.50 6.20 39.0 20.04 138.2
20 November 1975 18.00 5.50 1.50 7.00 38.9 20.26 139.7
18 November 1976 20.90 6.60 1.50 8.10 38.8 20.39 140.6
4 April 1977 20.90 5.60 2.50 8.10 38.8 18.75 129.3
17 November 1977 23.80 6.50 2.50 9.00 37.8 20.04 138.2
4 April 1978 23.80 4.40 4.60 9.00 37.8 19.30 133.1
16 November 1978 25.50 3.70 6.00 9.70 38.0 19.99 137.9
2 April 1979 25.50 1.70 8.00 9.70 38.0 18.90 130.3
15 November 1979 29.95 3.40 8.00 11.40 38.1 20.02 138.1
24 November 1980 33.40 2.50 9.50 12.00 35.9 18.27 126.0
23 November 1981 36.40 1.60 10.50 12.10 33.2 16.46 113.5
25 November 1982 40.45 0.60 11.70 12.30 30.4 15.74 108.6
24 November 1983 43.75 0.30 13.00 13.30 30.4 16.24 112.0
20 November 1984 46.00 3— 13.70 13.70 29.8 15.94 109.9
28 November 1985 49.25 — 14.00 14.00 28.4 15.44 106.5
28 July 1986 49.80 — 14.20 14.20 28.5 15.41 106.3

budgets to ensure, as far as is reasonably possible, that applications of similar priority receive similar treatment throughout the year, whenever they occur

—the first few months of the scheme may not be typical, for instance in terms of the volume of applications.