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Social Fund (Northumberland)
Mr. Ronnie Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many social fund applications for (a) grants and (b) loans have been turned down in the local benefits agencies of Blyth Valley, Northumberland since (a) 1992, (b) 1993 and (c) 1994. [13488]
Mr. Roger Evans: The administration of the social fund is a matter for Peter Mathison, chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Ronnie Campbell, dated 13 February 1996:
14 Feb 1996 : Column: 657
Figures are provisional and subject to change.
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many Social Fund applications for (a) grants and (b) loans have been turned down in the local benefits agencies of Blyth Valley, Northumberland since (a) 1992, (b) 1993 and (c) 1994.
Blyth Valley is part of the Benefits Agency district of Northumberland which comprises of the Benefit offices of Ashington, Berwick, Blyth and Hexham. The information is not
available in the form requested as figures are only available for the Northumberland District as a whole. These are shown in the table at Annex A.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
Year Number of loans refused Number of grants refused
Northumberland district
1992-93 2,632 3,309
1993-94 2,710 3,177
1994-95 3,064 3,803
Occupational and Private Pensions
Sir Andrew Bowden: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what effect converting an occupational or private pension assessed as trivial by his Department into a lump sum has for income support purposes; and if he will assess the advantages of disregarding a trivial occupational or private pension for income support purposes. [13782]
Mr. Heald:
A lump sum acquired in this way is taken into account in accordance with the normal rules which provide for the first £3,000 of capital to be disregarded. A person who commutes a pension into a lump sum with the intention of securing income support, or of increasing the amount of benefit payable, can be treated as if that income were still in payment. There are no plans at present to change these arrangements.
14 Feb 1996 : Column: 658
Pensions and Stipends
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, what powers the Synod has to instruct the Commissioners to (a) reduce the level of pensions already in payment and (b) reduce the level of stipends in payment.
Mr. Alison: The General Synod has no power to instruct the commissioners to reduce the level of pensions in payment. The levels are determined in accordance with the pensions regulations. Under the current arrangements, the legislation gives to the commissioners the power to increase the figures, which they customarily exercise in line with the Church's pensions policy. There is no provision for any reduction to be made in the monetary amounts payable.
Stipend levels are determined on a diocesan basis by the bishop with the concurrence of the Diocesan Board of Finance in accordance with section 5 of the Diocesan Stipends Funds Measure 1953, having regard to the advice of the commissioners as central stipends authority. The commissioners were appointed as central stipends authority by a General Synod Regulation in 1972, revised in 1982. The Synod has the power to amend this regulation if it so wishes by appointing another authority, but cannot directly reduce the level of stipends.
The Synod also has the power to amend the above legislation, subject to the agreement of Parliament.