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Social Fund

Volume 282: debated on Monday 14 October 1996

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To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total expenditure of the social fund for each of the past five financial years; and what the administrative costs were and what proportion they were of expenditure. [40284]

The information is set out in the table.As the social fund's business involves both paying money out and recovering the amounts awarded as loans, the most appropriate measure of the cost of operating the fund is a comparison between administration costs and gross expenditure plus recoveries. This information is therefore also given in the table.

YearGross benefit expenditure £ millionAdministration costs £ millionAdministration costs as a percentage of gross benefit expenditureAdministration costs as a percentage of gross benefit expenditure plus recoveries
1990–91280132347332.5
1991–92361163345332
1992–9340212085235
YearGross benefit expenditure £ millionAdministration costs £ millionAdministration costs as a percentage of gross benefit expenditureAdministration costs as a percentage of gross benefit expenditure plus recoveries
1993–9444222706141
1994–954512094630.5
1. Includes one off IT development and capital costs of £17 million.
2. Includes one off IT development and capital costs of £45 million.
3. Figures differ slightly from those previously published which did not include any cold weather payments.
4. 1994–95 is the most recent year for which estimated actual administration costs are available.