(2) what information his Department records on the decisions of the social fund;
(3) what assessment his Department has made of the (a) quality and (b) appropriateness of advice offered by staff to social fund applicants;
(4) if he will take steps to ensure that applicants requiring assistance who have had a social fund application rejected are directed to more appropriate sources of funding;
(5) what criteria his Department uses to ensure that community care grants are awarded to the applicants who are most in need of them.
The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 10 December 2007:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions relating to the operation of the discretionary Social Fund scheme. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Jobcentre Plus is solely responsible for administering the Social Fund, including making initial decisions on applications for loans and Community Care Grants and providing the first tier of review for applicants dissatisfied with their original decision. Decision makers must adhere to the Directions issued by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and take account of guidance he has given. They should also have regard to the state of the budget in the Social Fund unit they are attached to. Decision makers are fully trained in the principles of decision making and the rules relating to the Social Fund.
Social Fund Inspectors working at the Independent Review Service for the Social Fund (an independent statutory body) provide the second tier of the review for customers dissatisfied with the review decision made by the decision maker in Jobcentre Plus. Customers who are still dissatisfied may apply for Judicial Review.
Inspector's decisions are returned to Jobcentre Plus and are used as a learning resource for decision makers. The Social Fund Commissioner, the head of the Independent Review Service, has provided assistance to Jobcentre Plus by making his staff available to assist us in training our decision makers. Inspector's decisions have always been a useful resource for Jobcentre Plus decision makers. We are now formalising that as part of an enhanced checking regime designed to improve the standard of decision making.
The particulars of each application are recorded on the national Social Fund Computer System. For Budgeting Loans this includes the reasons for the decision and repayment terms. For Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans, in addition to recording the details on the computer system, decision makers are required to complete a written decision which explains in details the reasons why an award has been made or refused.
Jobcentre Plus monitors customer service through the Mystery Shopper Programme, which is an independent measure of the accuracy and comprehensiveness of information given to customers. The scenarios used by the Mystery Shopper include some questions about elements of the Social Fund. Performance against these questions contributes to the wider Customer Service Target.
Social Fund decision makers are advised to alert customers, where appropriate, to charitable sources of funding such as the Family Fund. Decision makers refusing an award from one part of Social Fund will as a matter of routine consider whether an application to another part of the fund might be successful. When a decision is made to refuse a Community Care Grant the decision maker will automatically consider whether a crisis loan can be awarded. Similarly, if a Crisis Loan is refused the decision maker should consider whether the award of a Community Care Grant is appropriate. Where neither is appropriate consideration should be given to issuing a Budgeting Loan application form to the customer as legislation does not permit us to treat an application for a Community Care Grant or Crisis Loan as a Budgeting Loan.
The Community Care Grant scheme operates within the constraints of a cash limited budget and awards are made based on prioritisation of customer need which ensures that available funding goes to those with the highest priority needs. In each case the decision maker considers the nature, extent and urgency of need and whether the priority of the need can be met from the relevant budget allocation.
I hope that this is helpful.