Community Care Grants (Hansard, 20 April 1989)

§ Mrs. Beckett
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will issue a direction extending eligibility for community care grants to people leaving institutional care whose income is above income support level because they are entitled to invalidity benefit.

§ Mr. Peter Lloyd
I refer the hon. Member to my hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) on 16 December at column750–51.

§ Mr. Madden
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will state for the financial year 1988–89, the number of claimants who were awarded and accepted(a) a social fund loan and (b) a community care grant as a percentage of the total number who received single payments in 1987–88; and in each case, what was the proportion which these represented of the total number of income support, supplementary benefit, claimants.

§ Mr. Peter Lloyd
Information on the number of individuals receiving an award is not collected.

§ Mr. Madden
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will state for the financial year 1988–89, the number of income support claimants awarded and272W accepting (a) two budgeting loans, (b) three budgeting loans, (c) four budgeting loans, (d) five budgeting loans and (e) six or more budgeting loans.

§ Mr. Peter Lloyd
The information is not collected and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

§ Mr. Madden
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will state, for the financial year 1988–89, the number of his Department's local offices spending less than(a) 50 per cent., (b) 60 per cent. and (c) 75 per cent. of their community care grant budget.

§ Mr. Peter Lloyd
Such information for the period April 1988 to February 1989 is available in the Library.
Information for March 1989 will be placed in the Library later this month.

§ Mr. Madden
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will state, for the financial year 1988–89, the proportion of total social fund expenditure which has been subsequently written off as unrecoverable.

§ Mr. Peter Lloyd
Information is available only for the period ending 30 September 1989. The details are set out as follows and are provisional: 273W

£

Funeral payments 6,354,434

Budgeting loans 4,315

Crisis loans 10,920

§ Mr. Madden
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will state, for the financial year 1988–89, the proportion of social fund loan application refusals which were issued on the grounds of the claimant's inability to repay.

§ Mr. Peter Lloyd
Only 1 per cent. of applications processed were refused on grounds of the applicant's inability to repay.

November 1979¹ rates in real terms April 1988 rates Percentage change in real terms

£ £

Retirement pension²

Single person 40.91 41.15 0.6

Married couple 65.50 65.90 0.6

Unemployment benefit³

Single person 32.48 32.75 0.8

Married couple 52.59 52.95 0.7

Sickness benefit³

Single person 32.48 31.30 -3.6

Married couple 52.59 50.70 -3.6

Industrial disablement benefit⁴ 66.72 67.20 0.7

Industrial death benefit⁵ 41.88 41.15 -1.7

Maternity allowance

Single person 32.48 31.30 -3.6

Married couple 52.59 50.70 -3.6

Non-contributory retirement pension

Single person 24.58 24.75 0.7

Married couple 39.33 39.55 0.6

War disablement pension⁶ 66.72 67.20 0.7

War widows' pension⁷ 53.47 53.75 0.5

Attendance allowance

Higher rate 32.66 32.95 0.9

Lower rate 21.77 22.00 1.0

Invalid care allowance

Single person 24.58 24.75 0.7

Married couple 39.33 39.55 0.6

Severe disablement allowance

Single person 24.58 24.75 0.7

Married couple 39.33 39.55 0.6

Mobility allowance 21.07 23.05 9.4

Child benefit⁸ 7.02 7.25 3.2

One parent benefit 4.39 4.90 11.6

¹ Benefit rates for 1979 to 1982 were set as a result of a forecast of future inflation, rather than by the historic method used since 1983; this discontinuity makes comparisons difficult.

² The basic rate of benefit, which is also the basic rate of benefit for invalidity pension and widow's pension.

³ Rate for benefit under pension age.

⁴ 100 per cent. disablement pension.

⁵ Higher permanent rate. Since 11 April 1988, this benefit is paid only to those already in receipt at 11 April 1988.

⁶ 100 per cent. disablement pension for other ranks.

⁷ Higher rate.

⁸ Rate in 1979 was set in April.

	£
Funeral payments	6,354,434
Budgeting loans	4,315
Crisis loans	10,920

	November 1979¹ rates in real terms	April 1988 rates	Percentage change in real terms
	£	£
Retirement pension²
Single person	40.91	41.15	0.6
Married couple	65.50	65.90	0.6
Unemployment benefit³
Single person	32.48	32.75	0.8
Married couple	52.59	52.95	0.7
Sickness benefit³
Single person	32.48	31.30	-3.6
Married couple	52.59	50.70	-3.6
Industrial disablement benefit⁴	66.72	67.20	0.7
Industrial death benefit⁵	41.88	41.15	-1.7
Maternity allowance
Single person	32.48	31.30	-3.6
Married couple	52.59	50.70	-3.6
Non-contributory retirement pension
Single person	24.58	24.75	0.7
Married couple	39.33	39.55	0.6
War disablement pension⁶	66.72	67.20	0.7
War widows' pension⁷	53.47	53.75	0.5
Attendance allowance
Higher rate	32.66	32.95	0.9
Lower rate	21.77	22.00	1.0
Invalid care allowance
Single person	24.58	24.75	0.7
Married couple	39.33	39.55	0.6
Severe disablement allowance
Single person	24.58	24.75	0.7
Married couple	39.33	39.55	0.6
Mobility allowance	21.07	23.05	9.4
Child benefit⁸	7.02	7.25	3.2
One parent benefit	4.39	4.90	11.6
¹ Benefit rates for 1979 to 1982 were set as a result of a forecast of future inflation, rather than by the historic method used since 1983; this discontinuity makes comparisons difficult.
² The basic rate of benefit, which is also the basic rate of benefit for invalidity pension and widow's pension.
³ Rate for benefit under pension age.
⁴ 100 per cent. disablement pension.
⁵ Higher permanent rate. Since 11 April 1988, this benefit is paid only to those already in receipt at 11 April 1988.
⁶ 100 per cent. disablement pension for other ranks.
⁷ Higher rate.
⁸ Rate in 1979 was set in April.