HC Deb 12 April 1989 vol 150 c573W
Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide figures for the Walthamstow, Leytonstone and Woodgrange Park offices of his Department for the year ended 31 March of(a) their social fund amounts allocated sub-divided between community care grants and loans, (b) the amounts paid out, similarly sub-divided, (c) the amount which was paid out by each office in the previous year and (d) their allocation for the forthcoming year, similarly sub-divided.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Information about local office budgetallocations is available in the Library.

Information about the numbers of social fund applications processed and amounts paid is available in the Library for the period April 1988 to February 1989. Information for March 1989 will be placed in the Library later this month.

Information about local office expenditure on single payments for the period 1987–88 is also available in the Library.

Mr. Ashley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what additional publicity his Department is giving to the availability of community care grants, following the low initial take-up of such grants.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Local office managers have been asked to improve and maintain liaison with local statutory and voluntary organisations since these are often best placed to identify people who may be eligible for help. We also intend to produce additional information material on the social fund aimed at potential applicants. This will supplement the information already available in leaflet SB16 "A Guide to the Social Fund" as well as a variety of other leaflets and forms.

Mr. Ashley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the percentage of take-up of community care grants from the social fund.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Take-up of community care grants has continued to rise steadily. In February 1989, 42,000 applications were received compared with 24,000 in August 1988. Expenditure over the same period rose from £2 million to just over £6 million, representing 110 per cent. of anticipated monthly expenditure. Total expenditure to the end of February was £34.1 million.