§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list all of the circumstances in which(a) interim payments and (b) alignment payments are made. [67859]
§ Malcolm. WicksInterim payments are discretionary payments on account of benefit which can be made to avoid hardship where the Decision Maker is satisfied that the basic conditions of entitlement for the benefit are met. Interim payments can be made in a number of circumstances:
where a benefit claim has been made but cannot immediately be determined and the delay is not the fault of the customer;
in an emergency. This covers a variety of different situations from civil emergencies to industrial action;
where a claim has not been made in the correct manner but it is not the fault of the customer, for example because the claim form has been completed incorrectly by a visiting officer;
while an appeal is ongoing but the customer clearly has some residual entitlement to benefit;
Interim payments follow the same payment cycles and periods as the main benefit being claimed and are not made before the person's first benefit pay day. The amount of any payment is recoverable from the main benefit when it is awarded.
"Alignment payment" is an administrative term used to describe Social Fund crisis loans made to help with day to day living expenses to people awaiting a first payment of benefit which is paid in arrears. Any crisis loans made under these circumstances will cover the recipients' needs until their first benefit pay day, following which full or interim payments of benefit can he made. Alignment payments can also be made to people moving from benefit into work who need financial help until they receive their first wage.
§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer of 1 July,Official Report, column 95W, on alignment payments, over what time alignment payments have to be repaid. [67861]
597W
§ Malcolm WicksAs with all Social Fund loans, the period over which crisis loan alignment payments are repaid varies depending upon the size of the loan and the weekly repayment rate. Repayment rates are flexible and take account of each individual's financial position.