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Benefits: Social Fund

My honourable friend the Minister for Pensions (Steve Webb) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. On 6 December 2010 I announced that in the forthcoming Welfare Reform Bill, we intended to 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. I am pleased to report that these changes to budgeting loans will be implemented from 8 May 2012 and will apply to all applications made from this date. This help will be available in addition to the Sure Start maternity grant and the social fund funeral payment. I will place a copy of the new direction covering these changes to Social Fund budgeting loans in the House Library later today.