HC Deb 15 December 1994 vol 251 cc795-9W
Mr. Bradley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) successful and (b) unsuccessful applications were made to the social fund for (i) community care grants, (ii) budgeting loans and (iii) crisis loans for each quarter since 1988–89; and if he will give the reasons for the refusals.

Mr. Roger Evans

Quarterly information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Information on an annual basis is provided in the Secretary of State1s annual reports on the social fund, copies of which are in the Library.

Mr. Bradley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will reproduce the tables in annexes 6, 10 and 14 of the annual report on the social fund 1993–94, Cm 2598, on the basis of expenditure by application purpose in a form identical to that used in the annual report on the social fund 1992–93, Cm 2274.

Mr. Roger Evans

The information requested is not available. The introduction of the social fund computer system means that the data used to produce the annual report on the social fund for 1993–94 is held in a different form from that used for previous annual reports.

Mr. Bradley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing annexe 1 of each annual report on the social fund, broken down according to client group definitions in annexe 4 of the annual report on the social fund 1993–94, Cm 2598.

Mr. Roger Evans

The information requested is not readily available for years prior to 1992–93. The available information is set out in the tables.

1992–93
Disabled
MP FP CCG BL CL
Awards as per cent, of decisions1 90 92 46 54 83
Refusals (000) 1 0 76 50 4
Gross Expenditure £ million 1 3 18 15 1
Recoveries £ million 0 0 0 11 1
Net Expenditure £ million 1 3 18 3 0
Average Award £1 101 840 279 215 52

Others
MP FP CCG BL CL
Applications received (000) 180 57 642 827 303
Decisions (000)1 169 46 546 760 284
Awards (000)1 140 34 112 443 240
Awards as per cent, of decisions1 83 74 20 58 84
Refusals (000) 28 12 434 284 42
Gross Expenditure £ million 14 26 38 100 19
Recoveries £ million 0 1 0 85 15
Net Expenditure £ million 14 25 38 15 4
Average Award £1 101 784 338 226 80

National social fund summary statistics by client group 1992–93
Pensioners
MP FP CCG BL CL
Decisions (000)1 <1 21 116 63 8
Awards (000)1 <1 19 71 25 6
Awards as per cent, of decisions1 97 90 61 39 80
Refusals (000) 0 2 45 31 1
Gross Expenditure £ million 0 16 19 5 0
Recoveries £ million 0 n/a 0 n/a n/a
Net Expenditure £ million 0 n/a 19 n/a n/a
Average Award £1 101 859 261 219 60

Unemployed
MP FP CCG BL CL
Decisions (000)1 86 14 374 553 508
Awards (000)1 82 13 63 310 413
Awards as per cent. of decisions1 95 96 17 56 81
Refusals (000) 4 1 311 222 90
Gross Expenditure 1 million 8 12 13 66 23
Recoveries 1 million 0 n/a 0 n/a n/a
Net Expenditure 1 million 8 n/a 13 n/a n/a
Average Award 11 101 894 207 212 56

1993–94
Disabled
MP FP CCG BL CL
Decisions (000)1 9 5 192 176 45
Awards (000)1 9 5 83 96 36
Awards as per cent, of decisions1 96 96 43 54 79
Refusals (000) 0 0 110 69 9
Gross Expenditure £ million 1 5 24 21 2
Recoveries £ million 0 n/a 0 n/a n/a
Net Expenditure £ million 1 n/a 23 n/a n/a
Average Award £1 101 915 280 222 56

Others
MP FP CCG BL CL
Decisions (000)1 154 42 570 786 299
Awards (000)1 139 35 112 471 241

Others
MP FP CCG BL CL
Awards as per cent. of decisions1 90 83 20 60 81
Refusals (000) 15 7 458 278 53
Gross Expenditure £ million 14 30 38 112 20
Recoveries £ million 0 n/a 0 n/a n/a
Net Expenditure £ million 14 n/a 38 n/a n/a
Average Award £1 101 866 335 237 81
1 Included in the number of awards is the number of awards after review.

Key:

  • MP = Maternity Payment
  • FP = Funeral Payment
  • CCG = Community Care Grant
  • BL = Budgeting Loan
  • CL = Crisis Loan
  • n/a = Not available by client group.
  • —Excluded from the tables is information on cold weather payments as this cannot be broken down by the client groups requested.
  • —The tables for 1993–94 do not include the number of applications as they cannot be broken down by client group under the new computer system.