HC Deb 19 October 1999 vol 336 cc557-8W
Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the number of ex-offenders who qualify for a Social Fund grant but do not receive one because of the limited funds available; and if he will make a statement. [93928]

Angela Eagle

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is that in the financial year 1998–99 less than 10 per cent. of community care grant applications refused were on the grounds of insufficient priority.

Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the impact of the new Budget Loans system upon single people; what plans he has to improve the system as it affects single people; and if he will make a statement. [93986]

Angela Eagle

The new budgeting loan system is designed to improve fairness to all applicants, including single people, and to provide access to interest-free loans to as many eligible applicants as possible.

Indications from the first six months of the scheme are that the proportion of successful applications from single people has increased.

Monitoring of the new scheme is continuing, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will report on the first year of the new scheme in his next annual report on the Social Fund, due for publication next summer.

Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for what reasons local benefit agencies do not have flexibility in respect of their overall expenditure on Social Fund grants; if he will introduce greater flexibility; and if he will make a statement. [93929]

Angela Eagle

The national discretionary Social Fund budget is cash limited. The community care grant budget for 1999–2000 is £98 million.

Allocating the community care grant budget to District offices ensures that local expenditure is targeted on those in greatest need while keeping expenditure under control. However, additional funding can be provided from the centrally held contingency reserve to any District faced with additional expenditure resulting from an emergency in their locality.

Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for what reasons Social Fund grants have been increased by less than inflation over the past two years; what assessment he has made of the impact of this on claimants; and if he will make a statement. [93927]

Angela Eagle

The Community Care Grant budget is reviewed annually. It was increased in April 1998 by £1 million to support greater help for homeless people. This increase, which was the first since 1994, has been maintained in the current year's budget allocation. As a result, the number of homeless people getting help more than doubled.