§ Mr. BrandrethTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he intends to publish his annual report on the social fund for 1994 –95 and the social fund commissioner's annual report; and if he will make a statement. [34126]
§ Mr. Roger EvansThe Secretary of State's annual report on the social fund for 1994 –95 —CM 2885 —was published today and has been laid before Parliament. The report records that the gross budget allocated to the discretionary part of the fund at 1 April 1994 was £353 million, and that a further £15 million was allocated to the discretionary loans budget during the course of the year. Total gross expenditure in 1994 –95 was £451 million, £9 million higher than in 1993 –94 and was the highest annual level of expenditure since the fund was set up in 1988. This included 1.9 million non-repayable grants and interest-free loans worth £366 million and funeral, maternity and cold weather payments worth £85 million.
For the current year, we have increased the gross discretionary budget to £406 million, an increase of £53 million since 1 April 1994. Cold weather payments will also increase from £7 to £8.50 from 1 November 1995.
The cost of funeral payments has risen dramatically in the last five years. Proposals to limit social fund funeral payments to £875 were considered by the Social Security Advisory Committee. On the basis of the recommendations in its report, the Secretary of State introduced a new social fund funeral payment scheme from 5 June 1995 which places a ceiling on the amount payable for specified funeral directors' services but which ensures that the reasonable costs of other necessary disbursements, such as the cost of cremation or burial, will be met in full. These new arrangements mean that funeral payments, especially in the case of burials, could still exceed £1,000.
The social fund commissioner's annual report has also been published today and copies placed in the Library.
Mr. William O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the consistency of the local social fund guidance with his Department's guidance; and if he will make a statement. [33688]
524W
Proportion of children in each region living in families receiving income-related benefits Region North Yorkshire and Humberside East Midlands East Anglia London (Inner and Outer) South East (including Londan) South West West Midlands North West Scotland Wales 1991 Number of children aged 0–15 (thousands) 628 1,012 816 415 1,340 2,154 900 1,095 1,345 491 1,024 Number of children in families receiving income-related benefits (thousands) 200 280 180 70 410 380 190 320 420 290 160 Proportion in families receiving income-related benefits (per cent.) 31.9 27.7 22.1 16.9 30.6 17.6 21.1 29.2 31.2 49.1 15.6 1992 Number of children aged 0–15 (thousands) 634 1,024 827 432 1,365 2,177 910 1,104 1,355 59.6 1,026
§ Mr. EvansIn January this year, the Benefits Agency issued a bulletin to its district offices about local social fund guidance. This emphasised the need for local guidance to be as consistent as possible with the Secretary of State's guidance, while reflecting local factors, and contained advice on how guidance should be drawn up. The Benefits Agency will be evaluating the impact of this revised local guidance. I understand that the Wakefield district has revised its guidance following issue of the bulletin.