§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
What has been the percentage change in real terms in Social Fund expenditure on community care grants since 1997. [HL771]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Baroness Hollis of Heigham)Since April 1997 the gross discretionary Social Fund budget has increased by £153.1 million, from £467.5 million to £620.6 million, an increase of almost 33 per cent. Within this, the community care grant budget has increased by over 6 per cent to £103 million. Last year a record 2.3 million initial awards were made from the discretionary Social Fund.
163WAExpenditure on community care grants in 1997–98 was £96.5 million, which at 2000–01 prices was £103.5 million. Expenditure in 2000–01 amounted to £100.1 million, a reduction in real terms of 3.3 per cent. However, the number of people receiving income support or income-related jobseeker's allowance who are eligible to apply for community care grants fell by nearly 11 per cent during this period.
Notes:
1. Source: Social Fund Account 1997–98; Social Fund Annual Report 2000–01.
2. Expenditure in real terms has been calculated using the Gross Domestic Product deflator released by Office for National Statistics on 24 September 2001.