Social Fund (Hansard, 31 January 1994)

§ Mr. Kirkwood
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how the 1994–95 social fund budget will be broken down between(a) mandatory grants, (b) budgeting loans, (c) crisis loans and (d) community care grants.

§ Mr. Scott
No decision has yet been made on the breakdown of the discretionary social fund budget between loans and grants. Regulated payments from the social fund are not subject to a cash-limited budget.

§ Mr. Simon Hughes
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what is the administrative cost as a proportion of expenditure on the social fund for each year since its inception.

§ Mr. Scott
Administration costs as a proportion of programme expenditure are published annually in the departmental report. Annual social fund administration costs have only been included since 1990–91. Details are in the table.

Social fund administration costs (in £ millions) Administrative cost as a percentage of benefit expenditure

1990–91 132 47.1

1991–92 163 45.2

The information for 1992–93 will be contained in the next departmental report due to be published in March 1994.
583W

§ Mr. Kirkwood
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will publish a table showing the gross and net social fund discretionary budget in each year since 1988–89 in(a) cash terms and (b) real terms in 1993–94 prices, broken down into (i) budgeting loans, (ii) crisis loans and (iii) community care grants.

Social fund expenditure since 1988–89

all figures are £ million

1988–89 outturn 1989–90 outturn 1990–91 outturn 1991–92 outturn 1992–93 outturn

Crisis loans (gross) 17 22 28 37 43

Budgeting loans (gross) 108 119 128 160 181

Crisis loans (net) 9 8 9 11 9

Budgeting loans (net) 68 25 22 38 27

Community care grants 41 60 67 79 90

Total gross expenditure 166 201 223 276 314

Total gross expenditure 1993–94 prices¹ 218 248 254 297 324

¹ Real terms figures have been calculated using the current GDP deflator and may alter. In any event the social fund budget is based on a number of factors, including the level of gross allocation permitted by expected loan recoveries; and is not linked to inflation forecasts.

§ Mr. Simon Hughes
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish figures showing(a) the gross and (b) the net discretionary social fund budget on a per capita basis of the number of income support claimants in (i) cash and (ii) real terms for each year from 1988–89 to 1994–95.

§ Mr. Scott
The available information is in the table.
Expenditure and caseload figures for 1993–94 and subsequent years will not be available until after the end of the relevant financial year. However, the net social fund discretionary budget was increased by £5 million in 1993–94 which will lead to significantly higher expenditure in that year.

Social fund expenditure per capita of income support claimants

Year Cash terms £ ¹Real terms £

1988–89 38.52 50.81

1989–90 48.38 59.69

1990–91 53.22 60.62

1991–92 59.23 63.52

1992–93 59.02 60.90

¹ Real terms figures are expressed at 1993–94 prices and have been calculated using the current GDP deflator and may alter.

	Social fund administration costs (in £ millions)	Administrative cost as a percentage of benefit expenditure
1990–91	132	47.1
1991–92	163	45.2

Social fund expenditure since 1988–89
all figures are £ million
	1988–89 outturn	1989–90 outturn	1990–91 outturn	1991–92 outturn	1992–93 outturn
Crisis loans (gross)	17	22	28	37	43
Budgeting loans (gross)	108	119	128	160	181
Crisis loans (net)	9	8	9	11	9
Budgeting loans (net)	68	25	22	38	27
Community care grants	41	60	67	79	90
Total gross expenditure	166	201	223	276	314
Total gross expenditure 1993–94 prices¹	218	248	254	297	324
¹ Real terms figures have been calculated using the current GDP deflator and may alter. In any event the social fund budget is based on a number of factors, including the level of gross allocation permitted by expected loan recoveries; and is not linked to inflation forecasts.

Social fund expenditure per capita of income support claimants
Year	Cash terms £	¹Real terms £
1988–89	38.52	50.81
1989–90	48.38	59.69
1990–91	53.22	60.62
1991–92	59.23	63.52
1992–93	59.02	60.90
¹ Real terms figures are expressed at 1993–94 prices and have been calculated using the current GDP deflator and may alter.