§ Mr. BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many social fund applications have been refused in the last 12-month period for which figures are 183W available, for (a) community care grants, (b) budgeting loans and (c) crisis loans; how many of these claims were later successful on appeal; and if he will provide separate figures for each district office.
184W
Community care grants Budgeting loans Crisis loans Bankside 2,304 1,876 217 Barking and Havering 1,943 1,259 66 Barnet 1,506 930 471 Barnsley 2,302 1,569 152 Bedfordshire 2,618 1,630 51 Berkshire 2,709 1,629 509 Birmingham Chamberlain 3,629 1,970 192 Birmingham Heartlands 3,281 1,989 156 Birmingham North West 3,327 1,871 212 Birmingham South East 3,902 986 39 Birmingham South West 3,082 1,809 172 Blackburn and Accrington 2,338 1,568 861 Blackpool 1,563 962 257 Bolton 2,696 1,493 323 Bradford 3,967 2,994 538 Bristol Severnside 3,493 2,184 342 Brunel 2,352 1,523 207 Buckinghamshire 2,152 1,189 74 Burnley/Pendle/Rossendale 1,978 1,212 39 Cambridgeshire 3,023 2,040 229 Canterbury and Thanet 1,335 788 111 Central Derbyshire 2,389 1,742 394 Central Staffordshire 1,833 1,197 66 Channel 1,324 839 214 Cheshire East 1,366 816 53 Cheshire North West and Central 1,366 1,621 135 Chesterfield and Worksop 1,993 1,258 353 City East 2,021 1,147 464 Clyde Coast and Cowal 2,635 2,144 1,110 Clyde Valley 3,612 2,544 242 Coatbridge 3,446 3,042 911 Cornwall 2,530 1,632 1,478 Coventry 2,908 1,624 340 Cumbria North 1,619 1,370 27 Cynon Merthyr Rhymnney 3,141 3,181 262 Derbyshire South 1,744 1,060 87 Devonia 2,420 1,674 147 Doncaster 2,312 2,056 443 Dorset 2,246 1,336 1,690 Durham North 3,277 2,489 62 Durham South 2,502 1,872 44 Ealing 3,037 1,556 140 East Lowlands 3,241 2,586 646 East Nottinghamshire 2,279 1,545 188 East Sussex 1,190 607 53 Essex South West 2,281 1,239 207 Euston 4,103 2,693 426 Fife 3,242 2,625 455 Forth Valley 2,442 2,214 143 Fulham 4,448 2,757 175 Glamorgan South 4,658 3,553 514 Glasgow South West 3,336 2,225 1,330 Glasgow City 3,028 2,308 283 Glasgow East 5,990 4,262 1,874 Glasgow West 2,455 1,891 384 Gloucester 2,086 1,737 644 Grampian and Shetland 1,751 1,204 47 Gwent North and Brecon 1,898 1,556 126 Gwyneddigion 1,474 992 120 Hackney and Islington 3,709 2,125 311 Halifax 2,039 1,702 265 Hampshire North 1,433 1,081 252 Harrow and Hillingdon 1,422 704 9 Hereford and Worcester 1,791 1,123 333 Highlands and Islands 1,633 1,035 163 Hounslow and Kingston 1,796 1,040 116 Hull 4,977 3,894 440 Irvine 2,664 2,250 30 Kent North 2,847 2,238 123 Kirklees 2,529 1,931 329
§ Mr. ScottDistrict refusal figures for the period April 1992 to September 1992 are in the table. Information for earlier periods is in the Library. The information requested on social fund reviews is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
185W186W187W
Community care grants Budgeting loans Crisis loans Knowsley 3,073 2,181 586 Lancaster 2,126 1,315 348 Laurieston 4,017 3,086 827 Lea-Roding 2,840 1,800 241 Leaside 2,814 1,493 93 Leeds North 4,346 2,528 155 Leeds South 3,571 2,616 164 Leicestershire North 2,824 1,624 383 Lewisham and Brixton 4,294 3,159 956 Lincolnshire East 1,596 1,011 381 Liverpool Central 2,471 1,610 261 Liverpool North 2,519 1,833 227 Liverpool South 3,365 2,385 249 Lomond and Argyll 1,669 1,629 46 London Central 1,037 749 161 Lothian Central 2,437 1,846 733 Lothian West 2,847 2,093 833 Manchester Central 2,877 1,915 1,213 Manchester North 2,397 1,609 306 Mid-Wales and Maelor 1,627 1,328 153 Neasden 2,416 1,638 113 Newcastle upon Tyne 4,435 3,834 470 Newham 3,364 2,242 26 North and East Hertfordshire 1,258 811 24 North Essex 1,909 1,276 553 North Stafordshires 3,180 1,271 115 North Tyneside 1,661 1,289 284 North Wales Coast 2,082 1,432 369 North Yorkshire 1,304 863 39 Northamptonshire 4,610 2,594 467 Northumberland 1,649 1,311 51 Norwich 3,058 2,311 480 Nottinghamshire North 2,039 1,579 54 Nottinghamshire West 2,593 1,544 44 Ogwr Afan Nedd 2,023 1,814 105 Oldham 2,855 1,568 64 Oxfordshire 1,858 1,321 105 Preston 2,193 1,452 100 Renfrew 2,393 2,224 864 Rother and Dearne 2,755 1,857 515 South East Hampshire and Isle of Wight 3,213 1,259 110 Salford 2,358 1,416 45 Sandwell 3,133 1,702 38 Sefton 2,750 1,982 71 Sheffield East 3,678 2,650 350 Sheffield West 3,039 1,896 595 Shropshire 1,904 1,553 51 Solent and Forest 2,687 1,887 56 Somerset 1,554 849 250 South Cheshire 2,648 2,128 118 South Devon 3,617 2,709 1,376 South Downs 2,138 1,367 1,101 South East Essex 1,833 1,277 333 South Gwent and Islwyn 2,054 1,488 526 South Leicestershire 2,563 1,340 214 South Manchester 3,860 2,536 616 South West Lancashire 2,375 1,723 40 South West Scotland 2,737 2,142 480 South West Thames 3,435 2,052 599 Springburn and Cumbernauld 3,620 2,739 1,237 South Humberside 2,765 2,008 179 Stockport 1,596 1,046 55 Suffolk 3,227 1,854 430 Surrey Downs 1,245 672 118 Surrey North 2,655 1,760 407 Swansea 2,262 1,374 225 Taff Rhondda 1,569 1,152 75 Tameside 2,290 1,603 422 Tayside 3,607 2,789 542 Tees North 3,820 3,257 361 Tees South 4,488 3,101 109 Thameside 2,749 1,602 491 Tyneside South 4,252 3,345 396 Wakefield 2,819 1,907 144 Wales West 1,964 1,480 267 Walsall 2,275 1,748 16 Warwickshire 2,043 1,384 105
Community care grants Budgeting loans Crisis loans Wearside 4,304 3,372 60 West Hertfordshire 1,244 720 23 West Kent 1,159 753 51 West Lincolnshire 2,814 1,732 88 West Pennine 3,122 2,137 257 West Sussex 1,555 999 660 Wigan and Leigh 1,946 1,162 124 Wiltshire 2,461 1,655 143 Wirral 3,926 2,872 389 Wolverhampton 2,914 1,713 30 Worcestershire North 2,227 1,288 197 Yorkshire East 1,157 753 889
§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people on low incomes in each region, for the last 12 months for which figures are available have applied to the social fund for help with essential food items; how many have(a) been refused and (b) been awarded either a grant or loan; and what measures his Department is taking to support claimants who have fallen into debt as a result of repaying loans for essential food items.
§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications for social fund payments have been made in the local offices in Greenock and Port Glasgow in each of the months of the past year; and how many were(a) granted community care grants, (b) offered a crisis loan and (c) refused by the adjudication officers.
Social Fund Information—Clyde Coast and Cowal District October 1991 to September 1992 Applications Grant awards Crisis Loan offers Refusals October 1991 2,168 185 310 1,153 November 1991 2,255 180 295 1,162 December 1991 1,510 126 216 1,008 January 1992 1,738 150 264 991 February 1992 1,793 165 237 1,015 March 1992 2,036 123 258 1,182 April 1992 1,651 143 205 880 May 1992 1,681 185 236 995 June 1992 1,781 148 234 928 July 1992 1,777 157 310 1,010 August 1992 1,720 154 261 958 September 1992 1,880 142 271 1,088
§ Mr. MandelsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the number of applications for social fund community care grants in the North Tees district in 1991–92; what is the projected number of applications for 1992–93; and if he will ensure that sufficient funding is available to meet any extra demand.
§ Mr. ScottThe administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and a copy will be placed in the Library.
188W
§ Mr. ScottThe administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Letter from Michael Bichard to Dr. Norman A. Godman, dated 16 November 1992:
As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to the points raised in your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Social Fund applications in the local offices of Greenock and Port Glasgow.
From the inception of the Benefits Agency in April 1991, the former DSS offices of Greenock and Port Glasgow became Clyde Coast and Cowal District.
Applications to the discretionary part of the Fund, that is, for loans and grants, are decided by Social Fund Officers, rather than Adjudication Officers. Details of discretionary applications, grant awards, crisis loan offers and refusals for discretionary payments at Clyde Coast and Cowal District are provided in the Annex. I have given details for the past 12 months to September 1992, as these are the latest figures available.
I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy of this reply will appear in the Official Report. Copies are also being placed in the Library.
Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Peter Mandelson, dated 16 November 1992:
As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to the points raised in your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Social Fund community care grants in the North Tees District.
The North Tees District received 8,436 applications for community care grants in 1991–92. Information for 1992–93 is not available as forecasts are not made at a district level. The community care grant national budget currently stands at £91 million, an increase of more than 35 per cent. since April 1991.
I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy of this reply will appear in the Official Report. Copies are also being placed in the Library.