§ Mrs. CaltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will introduce a fast-track scheme to provide interim advance payments to people who appear to have a valid claim to benefit; [79187]
(2) if he will introduce a fast-track scheme to provide interim advance payments to people who appear to have made a valid claim for benefit from the Social Fund. [79217]
§ Malcolm WicksWe recognise that many people making a claim to benefit will be in need of immediate financial support. To avoid unnecessary hardship, discretionary payments on account of benefit can be made where a claim has not been determined but the Decision Maker is satisfied that the basic conditions of entitlement for the benefit are likely to be met.
309W Social Fund Crisis Loans can be made to people in an emergency where there are no other means of preventing serious damage or serious risk to health or safety. An inherent feature of Crisis Loan applications is that they should be dealt with on the day the need arises.
In the case of the regulated Social Fund, for example Sure Start Maternity Grants or Funeral Payments, it would not be appropriate to make interim awards pending receipt of a valid claim. However, we believe arrangements for both elements of the scheme are sufficiently flexible to allow staff to have regard to the urgency of an application.