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<p>The table below provides the budgets and outturn for Flexible Support Fund in the
relevant years*.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2012-13
</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2013-14 </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014-15
</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2015-16 </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2016-17
</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Budget</strong></p></td><td><p>£99.9 m</p></td><td><p>£127.6
m</p></td><td><p>£178.8 m</p></td><td><p>£76.8 m</p></td><td><p>£51.7 m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Outturn</strong></p></td><td><p>£115.0
m</p></td><td><p>£110.1 m</p></td><td><p>£91.5 m</p></td><td><p>£58.4 m</p></td><td><p>£51.0
m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Underspend</strong></p></td><td><p>£15.2m</p></td><td><p>£17.5
m</p></td><td><p>£87.3 m</p></td><td><p>£18.4 m</p></td><td><p>£0.7 m</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><p>*All figures have been rounded to the nearest tenth of a million, with negative
values enclosed in brackets.</p><p> </p><p>The Flexible Support Fund budget is subject
to review and change, based on claimant needs and volumes and as new policies are
agreed and old policies are withdrawn. As discretionary expenditure it is also dependent
upon overall Departmental affordability. The level of expenditure reflects these changing
policies and the level of claimant demand. For example, in 2014/15 the Department
received funding as part of the Spending Review 2013 in order to meet travel and childcare
costs to facilitate additional support for claimants, but the use of this increased
funding was limited. The budget for the Flexible Support Fund is not ring-fenced,
so any underspend or overspend contributes to the Department’s overall financial position
in each year.</p><p> </p>
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