13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the rate of refusal for (a) grants and (b) loans under the social fund for each month since April 1988.
The information is as follows:
| Refusals as a percentage of applications processed | |||
| CCGs | Budgeting loans | Crisis loans | |
| April 1988 | 54·5 | 65·9 | 17·1 |
| May 1988 | 55·8 | 41·1 | 13·1 |
| June 1988 | 55·7 | 42·0 | 11·8 |
| July 1988 | 54·7 | 42·1 | 10·2 |
| August 1988 | 54·6 | 39·6 | 10·3 |
| September 1988 | 53·0 | 40·0 | 10·1 |
| October 1988 | 52·1 | 36·4 | 10·0 |
| November 1988 | 50·5 | 35·1 | 9·7 |
| December 1988 | 48·0 | 34·0 | 10·2 |
| January 1989 | 44·8 | 44·0 | 9·1 |
| February 1989 | 44·5 | 37·0 | 9·2 |
| March 1989 | 43·4 | 37·0 | 8·7 |
| April 1989 | 52·6 | 41·3 | 9·2 |
| May 1989 | 55·3 | 42·2 | 9·5 |
| June 1989 | 56·6 | 48·4 | 9·2 |
| July 1989 | 56·6 | 42·0 | 9·5 |
| August 1989 | 55·7 | 45·9 | 9·3 |
| September 1989 | 56·5 | 46·7 | 9·1 |
| October 1989 (provisional) | 56·7 | 45·3 | 9·1 |
38.
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications there were for grants and loans from the social fund in the last month for which figures are available; what was the monthly average for the last financial year; and whether he has any plans to increase the size of the fund.
With regard to the size of the budget, I refer the right hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Peckham (Ms. Harman) on 10 November 1989 at column 812. The average number of applications received in 1988–89 can be derived from information in the Secretary of State's annual report published in July 1989. Figures for the period April to October 1989 can be derived from the information placed monthly in the Library.
45.
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will reconsider his allocation of resources to the social fund.
69.
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will reconsider his allocation of resources to the social fund.
83.
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will reconsider his allocation of resources to the social fund.
We are continuing to monitor closely the situation in the current year. We shall announce the individual social fund allocations to local offices for 1990–91 in due course.
82.
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received concerning the availability of social fund loans.
Between 1 April 1989 and 13 November 1989 we received 129 letters from hon. and right hon. Members and 120 letters from members of the public specifically concerning social fund loans.
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the operation of the social fund.
We are continuing to monitor closely the operation of the social fund. Nearly 1½ million interest-free loans have been made since the scheme began averaging £211 for budgeting loans and £46 for crisis loans. Over a quarter of a million community care grants have been awarded averaging £266. The number of awards of community care grants awarded in the period April to October 1989 was 128 per cent. higher than in the same period last year, and the numbers of budgeting loans increased by 36 per cent. over the same period.The flexible way in which the scheme operates has enabled social fund officers to provide help which would not have been available under the rigid regulations of the old single payments scheme.