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937886

	registered interest
	date	10/07/2018
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Funeral Payments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average Funeral Expenses Payment was in each year since 2003.
	tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
	tabling member printed	Toby Perkins
	uin	162526
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2018 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions does not produce estimates for the average cost of a funeral.</p><p> </p><p>The average Funeral Expenses Payment (FEP) made in each year is published in the Social Fund Annual Report. Table 1 below provides the average FEP made in each year since 2003/04. Figures are rounded to the nearest £1.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Table 1: Average FEP award, 2003/04 – 2017/18</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Average FEP award</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2003/04</p></td><td><p>£1,019</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2004/05</p></td><td><p>£1,051</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2005/06</p></td><td><p>£1,081</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2006/07</p></td><td><p>£1,117</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2007/08</p></td><td><p>£1,162</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008/09</p></td><td><p>£1,194</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009/10</p></td><td><p>£1,208</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010/11</p></td><td><p>£1,217</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011/12</p></td><td><p>£1,241</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>£1,225</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>£1,347</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p>£1,375</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p>£1,410</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016/17</p></td><td><p>£1,427</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017/18</p></td><td><p>£1,461</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Source: Social Fund Annual Reports 2003/04 – 2016/17, Social Fund Policy Budget and Management Information System</p><p> </p><p>Notes</p><p> </p><ol><li>The figure for 2017/18 is drawn from the Social Fund Policy Budget and Management Information System as the Social Fund Annual Report 2017/18 is not yet published.</li><li>The average award is the average payment net of returned payments (including appeals). This is calculated by taking the total value of payments in a given year (net of returned payments) and dividing by the total number of payments in a given year, as recorded in the Policy, Budget and Management Information System.</li><li>These averages include awards made after review, reconsideration or appeal following an initial refusal.</li></ol> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 162525 question first answered 18/07/2018 12:32:53 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

938459

	registered interest
	date	11/07/2018
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Funeral Payments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans his Department has to review the adequacy of the element of the Funeral Expenses Payment that is used to pay funeral directors, coffins and flowers to cover those costs.
	tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
	tabling member printed	Toby Perkins
	uin	163065
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/07/2018 answer text <p>The Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payments provides a significant contribution towards funeral costs, covering burials, cremations and £700 towards coffins, flowers and other costs. It continues to meet the necessary costs of a cremation or burial for claimants on certain income based benefits or tax credits. Average payments have increased year-on-year to meet these necessary costs, by some 28% over the past ten years.</p><p> </p><p>We have also made interest-free Social Fund Budgeting Loans available for funeral costs in addition to Funeral Expenses Payments. Whilst we are keeping the level of funeral expenses payments under review, we do need to ensure that we have a system that is both fair for taxpayers, while assisting the most vulnerable with funeral expenses.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 19/07/2018 14:44:52 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

1128289

	registered interest
	date	22/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Funeral Payments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many funeral expenses payment awards were made in 2018-19; and (ii) what the value of those payments was.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow South
	tabling member printed	Stewart Malcolm McDonald
	uin	257550
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/06/2019 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p>The number and gross expenditure of Funeral Expenses Payment awards, in Great Britain, is reported annually in Appendix 1 of the Social Fund Annual Report:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-fund-annual-report-2017-to-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-fund-annual-report-2017-to-2018</a></p><p>The information requested for 2018/19 will be published in due course, and so cannot be released ahead of publication.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 05/06/2019 13:05:33 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4461 label Biography information for Stewart Malcolm McDonald

1422868

	registered interest
	date	18/02/2022
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Funeral Payments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of financial support available for families with funeral costs.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	124961
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2022 answer text <p>The Funeral Expenses Payments (FEP) scheme provides an important contribution towards the cost of a simple, respectful funeral arranged by someone who is in receipt of certain income related benefits or tax credits.</p><p><br> The scheme meets the necessary costs of a burial or cremation in full and offers up to £1000 to meet other funeral expenses such as, the cost of a coffin, church and funeral director fees. In April 2020, we increased the maximum amount families can claim for these additional costs by 43%, from £700 to £1000, providing vital financial support to families grieving the loss of a loved one.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 28/02/2022 14:19:41 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1422870

	registered interest
	date	18/02/2022
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Funeral Payments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the Funeral Expenses Payment eligibility criteria to include low-income families, in addition to those receiving means-tested benefits or tax credits.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	124962
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2022 answer text <p>The Funeral Expenses Payments (FEP) scheme provides an important contribution towards the cost of a simple, respectful funeral arranged by someone who is in receipt of certain income related benefits or tax credits. The financial assistance offered through the FEP scheme is closely targeted at those who need it most.</p><p><br> The Government has no plans to extend the Funeral Expenses Payment eligibility criteria. <br> <br></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 28/02/2022 14:20:46 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1422871

	registered interest
	date	18/02/2022
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Funeral Payments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claims for Funeral Expenses Payment were (a) made and (b) successful in each month since February 2021.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	124963
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2022 answer text <p>The number of Funeral Expenses Payment (FEP) applications received and awards made, since February 2021 up until January 2022, is provided in the table below, for England and Wales.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Month</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Applications received</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Awards</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>February 2021</p></td><td><p>4,853</p></td><td><p>2,449*</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2021</p></td><td><p>4,763</p></td><td><p>3,790</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>April 2021</p></td><td><p>3,392</p></td><td><p>2,976</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May 2021</p></td><td><p>2,834</p></td><td><p>1,957</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>June 2021</p></td><td><p>3,368</p></td><td><p>1,912</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>July 2021</p></td><td><p>2,873</p></td><td><p>2,055</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August 2021</p></td><td><p>3,178</p></td><td><p>1,854</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>September 2021</p></td><td><p>3,454</p></td><td><p>2,515</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>October 2021</p></td><td><p>3,124</p></td><td><p>2,114</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>November 2021</p></td><td><p>3,309</p></td><td><p>2,184</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>December 2021</p></td><td><p>2,749</p></td><td><p>1,801</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>January 2022</p></td><td><p>3,098</p></td><td><p>1,719</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>FEP data sourced from the DWP Policy, Budget and Management Information System (PBMIS). *The FEP award figure for February 2021 is an estimate using unaudited internal DWP figures on the number of FEP loans, as this could not be sourced from the PBMIS data for February 2021.</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 28/02/2022 14:12:47 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

421214

	registered interest
	date	13/10/2015
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Funeral Payments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support his Department is giving to people on low incomes who are unable to cover the costs of a funeral deposit.
	tabling member constituency	Rochdale
	tabling member printed	Simon Danczuk
	uin	11552
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/10/2015 answer text <p>I believe it is important that help is available to people on low incomes when they face moments of unforeseeable and exceptional need. For this reason, the Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payments scheme provides help to people on qualifying benefits with funeral costs.</p><p>Social Fund Budgeting Loans, which can be made to people who have been in receipt of a qualifying benefit for at least 26 weeks, are also available to support people with funeral costs. Budgeting Loans can be made irrespective of whether the applicant has claimed or is entitled to a Funeral Expenses Payment, and can therefore help where a deposit is required up front.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 19/10/2015 14:58:02 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4059 label Biography information for Simon Danczuk

1299184

	registered interest
	date	03/03/2021
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Funeral Payments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claims for funeral expenses payment were (a) made and (b) successful in each month since March 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
	tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
	uin	162619
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2021 answer text <p>The number of Funeral Expenses Payment (FEP) applications received, and awards, for each month since March 2019 is provided in the table below.</p><p> </p><p>FEP devolved to Scotland on 16 September 2019. From this date FEP is only awarded in England and Wales. Therefore, the figures report on Great Britain up to 16 September 2019, and on England and Wales from that date onwards.</p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3"><p><strong>Number of Funeral Expenses Payments applications received, and awards, 1 March 2019 to 31 January 2021</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Month</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of Applications Received</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of Awards</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2019</p></td><td><p>3,620</p></td><td><p>2,510</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>April 2019</p></td><td><p>3,410</p></td><td><p>2,090</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May 2019</p></td><td><p>3,730</p></td><td><p>2,080</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>June 2019</p></td><td><p>2,730</p></td><td><p>1,790</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>July 2019</p></td><td><p>3,020</p></td><td><p>1,790</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August 2019</p></td><td><p>2,960</p></td><td><p>1,910</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>September 2019</p></td><td><p>2,710</p></td><td><p>1,860</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>October 2019</p></td><td><p>3,300</p></td><td><p>2,480</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>November 2019</p></td><td><p>3,000</p></td><td><p>2,550</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>December 2019</p></td><td><p>2,580</p></td><td><p>1,510</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>January 2020</p></td><td><p>2,730</p></td><td><p>1,270</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>February 2020</p></td><td><p>3,910</p></td><td><p>1,270</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2020</p></td><td><p>3,660</p></td><td><p>1,330</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>April 2020</p></td><td><p>2,790</p></td><td><p>2,920</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May 2020</p></td><td><p>5,880</p></td><td><p>4,420</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>June 2020</p></td><td><p>4,760</p></td><td><p>4,480</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>July 2020</p></td><td><p>3,850</p></td><td><p>3,090</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August 2020</p></td><td><p>3,100</p></td><td><p>2,040</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>September 2020</p></td><td><p>3,520</p></td><td><p>2,360</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>October 2020</p></td><td><p>3,450</p></td><td><p>2,220</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>November 2020</p></td><td><p>3,600</p></td><td><p>2,370</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>December 2020</p></td><td><p>3,060</p></td><td><p>1,830</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>January 2021</p></td><td><p>3,890</p></td><td><p>2,050</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 08/03/2021 16:34:25 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

1307072

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2021
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Funeral Payments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2021 to Question 162619, o Funeral Payments, what assessment she has made of the reasons for the rejection of 47 per cent of applications for the funeral expenses payment in January 2021.
	tabling member constituency	West Lancashire
	tabling member printed	Rosie Cooper
	uin	178930
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2021 answer text <p>In reference to the Answer of 8<sup>th</sup> March 2021 to Question 162619, the following figures were included: In January 2021 there were 3,890 Funeral Expenses Payment applications received, and 2,050 awards paid.</p><p> </p><p>Reasons for this discrepancy are below:</p><ul><li>The figures relate to applications received by DWP, not applications processed. Some applications may have been withdrawn before a decision was made.</li><li>Applications received aren’t always processed in the same month in which they are received. The clearance standards for average actuals clearance times for Funeral Expenses Payments are 13 days. An application made in January 2021 might not have been awarded until February 2021.</li><li>The number of applications made is not equal to the number of people who made applications, as individuals may make multiple applications in a given time period.</li><li>Differences between any comparisons made of applications received, initial decisions, awards and initial refusals are due to applications being withdrawn; applicants rejecting or not responding to loan offers; and decisions outstanding at the time of the count.</li></ul><p> </p><p>We publish application success rate in Annex 1 of the Social Fund Annual Report. The latest available is the 2018/19 report:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-fund-annual-report-2018-to-2019/social-fund-annual-report-2018-to-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-fund-annual-report-2018-to-2019/social-fund-annual-report-2018-to-2019</a></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 19/04/2021 12:26:04 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	1538 label Biography information for Rosie Cooper

596113

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2016
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Funeral Payments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claims for the Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payment Scheme his Department has (a) received and (b) accepted in each of the last five years in (i) Birmingham, Northfield constituency, (ii) West Midlands and (iii) England.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Northfield
	tabling member printed	Richard Burden
	uin	46705
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2016 answer text <p>Table 1 below gives the number of applications for Funeral Expenses Payments received in England and in the West Midlands government office region for each of the last 5 financial years from 2011/12 to 2015/16. Table 2 gives the number of awards for Funeral Expenses Payments made in those two areas.</p><p>DWP does not hold data on Funeral Expenses Payments at constituency level.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Table 1: Applications received for Funeral Expenses Payments in West Midlands and England between 2011/12 and 2015/16</strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>2011/12</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></tr><tr><td><p><strong>West Midlands </strong></p></td><td><p>6,800</p></td><td><p>6,600</p></td><td><p>6,000</p></td><td><p>4,900</p></td><td><p>4,500</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>England </strong></p></td><td><p>55,700</p></td><td><p>53,200</p></td><td><p>48,000</p></td><td><p>40,900</p></td><td><p>35,900</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Source: Policy, Budget and Management Information System</p><p> </p><p><strong> Table 2: Awards made for Funeral Expenses Payments in West Midlands and England between 2011/12 and 2015/16</strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>2011/12</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2012/13</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014/14</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014/15</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2015/16</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>West Midlands </strong></p></td><td><p>3,800</p></td><td><p>3,700</p></td><td><p>3,300</p></td><td><p>3,000</p></td><td><p>3,000</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>England </strong></p></td><td><p>30,200</p></td><td><p>28,000</p></td><td><p>26,600</p></td><td><p>25,600</p></td><td><p>22,800</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Source: Policy, Budget and Management Information System</p><p> </p><p><strong>Notes</strong></p><ul><li>The number of applications and awards are rounded to the nearest 100.</li><li>The applications figures are based on applications received by DWP, not applications processed. Some applications may have been withdrawn before a decision was made.</li><li>The award figures include awards made after review, reconsideration or appeal following an initial refusal.</li><li>These figures do not include applications which were processed clerically and have not been entered on to the Social Fund Computer System.</li><li>The number of awards made in each year is not equal to the number of people who made applications or received awards in that year. An individual may make multiple applications in a given time period.</li></ul> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 17/10/2016 12:31:14 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
	tabling member	301 label Biography information for Richard Burden