Written question asked by Lord Beecham (Labour), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Freud (Conservative) on Thursday, 25 April 2013.

Benefits

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department for Work and Pensions intends to advertise the availability to the public of short-term benefit advances to help bridge the period between making a new benefit claim and the first payment of that benefit, following the abolition of Social Fund crisis loans; and if not, why not.[HL6748]

Answer: Short-term benefit advances are not a specific benefit or separate scheme like the Social Fund and the process reflects this. They are an advance of the claimant’s benefit. Where the claimant tells us they are in financial need (either at the start of their claim or those who have had a change of circumstances resulting in a significant increase in their benefit) then DWP staff will consider a short-term benefit advance where appropriate. This will most commonly happen at the new claims stage when staff are discussing with the claimant what will happen next. DWP endeavours to pay any benefit due where possible, and in many cases this is happening.

Secondary information