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18 December 2003

RECORD NUMBERS BENEFIT FROM THE SOCIAL FUND

A record number of people in real need have benefited from more than £59 million paid out by the Social Fund over the last year, the Minister with Responsibility for Social Development, John Spellar, MP, said today.

The Minister welcomed the publication of the DSD Social Fund Annual Report for 2002-2003. It includes cold weather and winter fuel payments, maternity and funeral costs, interest-free budgeting and crisis loans and non-repayable community care grants. He said:

"The Discretionary Social Fund helped a record number of people with more than 194,000 awards being made. The Social Fund as a whole made payments worth more than £59 million.

"In addition, Winter Fuel Payments totalling £42.7 million were paid to more than 272,000 pensioners.

"These figures reflect my Department’s commitment to helping the most vulnerable members of society. The Fund gives extra help with essential costs that people on low incomes find hard to pay for out of their regular budget."

The Minister also announced the publication of the Social Fund Commissioner's Annual Report for 2002-2003 on Social Fund Inspectors’ decisions and welcomed the continuing commitment of the Office of the Social Fund Commissioner to meeting the customers’ needs through an efficient service.

NOTES TO EDITORS:
  1. The 2002-2003 Social Fund Annual Report by the Department for Social Development covers cold weather and winter fuel payments, maternity and funeral costs, interest-free budgeting and crisis loans and non-repayable community care grants.

  2. Decisions taken by Decision Makers may be reviewed by an Inspector who is independent of the Department for Social Development. The Social Fund Commissioner, appointed under social security legislation, has a statutory duty to monitor the quality of reviews made by Inspectors and to report annually to the Department on the standard of these reviews.

A copy of the Department’s report is available on the DSD website at www.dsdni.gov.uk

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