Social Fund

HC Deb 13 November 1990 vol 180 cc107-8W

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many and what percentages of income support claimants aged under 60 years are repaying social fund budgeting loans and/or crisis loans by deductions from their benefit payments in the Doncaster area offices; and what is the average repayment in terms of a proportion of their income.

Mr. Scott

The table shows the number of social fund loans being recovered from income support recipients aged under 60 at the end of August 1990 and the percentage of recipients in that age group that the figure represents.

	Number of recoveries August 1990	Percentage of IS recipients under 60 repaying via benefit
Doncaster East	1,149	16.3
Doncaster West	1,563	16.2
Wath on Dearne	1,110	18.6

Information about the average repayment in terms of a proportion of income is not available.

Ms. Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much the social fund budget will be in 1991–92 in(a) gross and (b) net terms; and what were the comparable figures for each year since the social fund's introduction.

Mr. Scott

We shall make an announcement about the 1991–92 budget nearer the time. Details of the previous years' budgets are in the table.

	Gross	Net
	£ million	£ million
1988–89	203	125
1989–90	206	99
1990–91	227	100

Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list by office in the London borough of Newham the number of social fund applications(a) submitted and (b) refused since 1 April.

Mr. Scott

Details of applications processed and awards made can be obtained from information placed in the Library.

Mr. Frank Field

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many and what percentage of recipients and of households claiming income support are repaying social fund loans by deductions from their benefit payments.

Mr. Scott

I refer the hon. Member to the replies that I gave him on 24 October 1990 at column226 and 1 November 1990 at column 671. The information given in those replies relates to income support recipients who may or may not be householders. Separate information relating to households is not available.