Financial Assistance Scheme Jenny Willott To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the (a) total and (b) average amount paid out under the Financial Assistance Scheme has been in each month since it was established; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Mike O'Brien The total amount paid out by the Financial Assistance Scheme Operational Unit for each month in which payments were made has been: ------------------------------------------------ |Month |Initial|Annual|Gross expenditure (£)| ------------------------------------------------ |2005 | | | | ------------------------------------------------ |December |13 |0 |36,894 | ------------------------------------------------ | | | | | ------------------------------------------------ |2006 | | | | ------------------------------------------------ |January |15 |0 |6,371 | ------------------------------------------------ |February |27 |0 |35,996 | ------------------------------------------------ |March |32 |0 |20,072 | ------------------------------------------------ |April |45 |0 |39,000 | ------------------------------------------------ |May |86 |0 |144,000 | ------------------------------------------------ |June |149 |5 |213,000 | ------------------------------------------------ |July |187 |27 |363,355 | ------------------------------------------------ |August |240 |66 |346,155 | ------------------------------------------------ |September|318 |76 |311,301 | ------------------------------------------------ |October |377 |102 |212,399 | ------------------------------------------------ |November |519 |118 |274,684 | ------------------------------------------------ |December |594 |124 |686,599 | ------------------------------------------------ | | | | | ------------------------------------------------ |2007 | | | | ------------------------------------------------ |January |751 |136 |326,659 | ------------------------------------------------ |February |823 |153 |359,132 | ------------------------------------------------ |March |882 |175 |506,441 | ------------------------------------------------ |April |937 |205 |311,721 | ------------------------------------------------ |May |1,014 |222 |305,209 | ------------------------------------------------ |June |1,073 |240 |348,517 | ------------------------------------------------ |July |1,116 |268 |352,981 | ------------------------------------------------ |August |1,419 |278 |1,955,995 | ------------------------------------------------ |September|2,269 |291 |1,575,369 | ------------------------------------------------ |October |2,717 |320 |1,259,933 | ------------------------------------------------ |November |3,064 |371 |1,146,130 | ------------------------------------------------ |December |3,333 |685 |1,223,222 | ------------------------------------------------ | | | | | ------------------------------------------------ |2008 | | | | ------------------------------------------------ |January |3,623 |844 |2,374,841 | ------------------------------------------------ |February |3,868 |922 |1,227,357 | ------------------------------------------------ |March |4,117 |971 |1,168,925 | ------------------------------------------------ |April |4,371 |1,114 |1,073,789 | ------------------------------------------------ |May |4,558 |1,202 |1,342,270 | ------------------------------------------------ |June |4,938 |1,412 |4,657,200 | ------------------------------------------------ While it would be possible to calculate an average payment from these figures, it would not be meaningful due to a number of distorting factors. These include: where changes to the legislation have resulted in some members receiving substantial payments for entitlement for past periods. the phased implementation of regulatory changes, i.e. the FAS operational unit are now 51 per cent. of the way through the uplift from 80 to 90 per cent. in any one month there will be a combination of members receiving payments for past periods, payments only for the current month, payments for part month, and some members that will have had a FAS payment adjusted for pension credit abatement. Jenny Willott To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what legal costs have been incurred by his Department in relation to the Financial Assistance Scheme in each month since the scheme was established; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Mike O'Brien There have been no specific legal costs incurred by the Department for Work and Pensions in relation to the operation of the financial assistance scheme. Legal advice on policy and legislation governing FAS assistance levels is provided by departmental lawyers. To disaggregate this advice from other areas of advice would give rise to disproportionate cost.