Written question asked by Patsy Calton (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 28 November 2002, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 19 December 2002. It was answered by Malcolm Wicks (Labour) on Thursday, 19 December 2002 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Dept for Work and Pensions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on his Department's response to the recommendations in the report of Policy Action Team 14 on Access to Financial Services on the scope of the Social Fund. - Inc figure.

Answer: Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on his Department's response to the recommendations in the report of Policy Action Team 14 on Access to Financial Services on the scope of the Social Fund. [85180] Malcolm Wicks: We are committed to reducing social and financial exclusion and have given careful consideration to the recommendation of Policy Action Team 14 on extending the scope of Social Fund loans to people in low-paid employment. The discretionary Social Fund provides grants and loans to help some of the neediest people in our society manage a wide range of unexpected or occasional costs. Over 1.2 million budgeting loans were made last year to people with the lowest incomes, receiving income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance. We have no current plans to extend access to budgeting loans to people with higher incomes as such help would be poorly targeted and potentially very costly. We continue to keep all aspects of the fund under review.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 396 c1000W;396 c998W; 85180
Session: 2002-03
Subjects: Access Disadvantaged Financial services Social Fund Budgeting loans
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk