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.
Reviews of Social Fund applications at the Birmingham office (the Independent Review Service for the Social Fund) are a matter for the Social Fund Commissioner, Sir Richard Tilt. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 4 February 2008:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the average length of time for a decision on social fund applications in the most recent period for which figures are available. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
The average actual clearance times for discretionary social fund applications in Great Britain from April to December 2007 are given in the table.
Discretionary social fund applications in Great Britain from April to December 20071Award typeAverage Actual Clearance Time (working days)Community Care Grants11.9Crisis Loans21.7Budgeting Loans4.9 1. Numbers are based on applications cleared from April to December 2007, not on applications received during that period. 2. Figure includes Crisis Loans for items and living expenses. Source: DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System