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Benefits: Social Fund

My honourable friend the Minister for Pensions (Steve Webb) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. The social fund helps people to meet additional costs they may find it difficult to budget for. This is especially true when people on the lowest incomes are facing difficult and expensive times in their lives such as having a child or paying for a relative’s funeral. This is why, in the forthcoming Welfare Reform Bill, we will introduce legislation to make Social Fund budgeting loans available to help families to buy maternity items or items for a new baby or to help them towards meeting some of the costs of a relative’s funeral. This help will be available in addition to the Sure Start maternity grant and the Social Fund funeral payment from late next year.