I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 16, 17 and 41 together. Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, health boards are empowered to make a single payment to meet an exceptional need. The essence of such payments is that they are occasional and, therefore, should arise only under conditions which are out of the ordinary.
One of the main items for which payments under this heading are made is electricity or gas. In certain areas such payments have been made regularly to the same clients. This is not in keeping with the intention of the scheme.
The fact that regular payments in respect of electricity or gas are made in certain areas and not in others has also resulted in considerable inconsistency between different health boards in the administration of this aspect of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.
Under the legislation, I am responsible for the general direction and control of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. It was clear to me that measures were required to introduce greater consistency in relation to this payment by drawing up guidelines to provide a reasonable level of assistance to people in need while at the same time achieving the necessary consistency across the country. The issue of Circular 14/92 was designed to achieve this.
The circular indicated that exceptional needs payments for electricity or gas should be limited to one per client, per year and should not exceed a maximum of £100. There was no intention, in issuing the circular, to remove the basic discretion or responsibility which health boards have to make payments under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, nor indeed could it, as this discretion is built into the legislation. The circular was intended as a first step towards introducing a more comprehensive set of guidelines for health boards to assist in the administration of the scheme.
In this connection I recently established an advisory committee, including representation of all the health boards, to assist in achieving consistency in the operation of the scheme. This committee is working, inter alia, on a comprehensive approach to new guidelines on all the discretionary aspects of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.
I would envisage publishing these guidelines when they are completed and making them available to groups or individuals who wish to have them and supplying copies to the Library of the House. I am also reviewing the legislation and, should changes be required to ensure greater consistency in the application of the scheme, I will bring forward appropriate proposals in this regard.
In the meantime, following consultations which I have had with SIPTU, which represents many of the staff administering the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, I propose to remove any doubts which may have arisen regarding the intention of Circular 14/92 and to clarify that the limits provided for are intended as guidelines and not to override the basic discretion which health boards already have. Where circumstances warrant it, health boards have the discretion to exceed the guidelines in particular cases. At this point, however, I am satisfied that the general limitations set out in the circular are reasonable having regard to the original intention of the scheme and the increases in basic levels of social welfare payments since them.