§ Mr. MilburnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to increase the resources available to the social fund in order to meet demand; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ScottThe 32 per cent. increase made to the discretionary budget over the last year will enable even more help to be given to those in need.
§ Mr. McFallTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the number and percentage of total applications which were refused for(a) community care grants, (b) budgeting loans and (c) crisis loans for each of the years of the social fund's operation in his Department's office area covering the Dumbarton parliamentary constituency.
§ Mr. ScottThe two years for which information is available are 1990–91 and 1991–92. In 1990–91, a total of 1,177 grant, 1,516 budgeting loan and 100 crisis loan applications were refused by Dumbarton office. Last year's corresponding figures for the larger Benefits Agency district of Lomond and Argyll were 3,451, 3,681 and 158. A total of 37.6 per cent. of applications were not successful. Three quarters of the applications refused did not meet the basic eligibility criteria.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will increase the social fund allocations for 1992–93 to enable expenditure to be maintained at March 1992 levels throughout the year; and what would be the cost of doing so.
§ Mr. ScottSocial Fund budget allocations are made on an annual, not a monthly, basis. The allocations of £ 302 million for 1992–93 represents a 32 per cent. increase on April 1991 and is already higher than total expenditure for the financial year ending March 1992. We constantly monitor the fund to ensure that the highest priority needs are met throughout the year.
§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the proportion of income support recipients repaying social fund loans at(a) less than 15 per cent. of weekly income, (b) 15 per cent. of weekly income and (c) more than 15 per cent. of weekly income.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the administrative cost of making and recovering a social fund loan to a young person whose need for income support has been accepted by the hardship unit; and what would be the administrative cost of arranging for income support to be paid immediately in these circumstances.
§ Mr. ScottThe administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the82W Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of people refused help from the social fund on the ground of inability to pay, expressing this number(a) as a whole number, (b) as a proportion of the total number of loan applications and (c) as a proportion of the total number of loan refusals, from 13 April 1988 to the present time.