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<p>Table 1 shows the number of applications for Funeral Expenses Payments which were
made and the number refused in the financial years 2010/11 to 2014/15.</p><p><strong>Table
1</strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Applications
(000)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Initial Refusals (000)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2010/11</strong></p></td><td><p>69</p></td><td><p>34</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2011/12</strong></p></td><td><p>69</p></td><td><p>36</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2012/13</strong></p></td><td><p>66</p></td><td><p>34</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2013/14</strong></p></td><td><p>59</p></td><td><p>27</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2014/15</strong></p></td><td><p>51</p></td><td><p>24</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Data
sourced from the DWP policy, Budget and Management Information System and is published
in the Annual Report by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the Social
Fund for the relevant year.</p><p>The budget for the Social Fund, Funeral Expenses
Payment (FEP) expenditure is demand-led. Legislation prescribes that payments are
made to all eligible applicants. That is people responsible for arranging a funeral
who meet the rules on relationships with the deceased and receive a qualifying benefit.
Provision for FEPs is made by central Government through the supply estimate process,
but these figures are not translated into an operational budget and do not impact
eligibility or award amounts.</p><p>In a minority of cases funeral expense payments
are subsequently recovered from the deceased’s estate and in these cases the net amount
can be very small. Given the small numbers involved it is not appropriate to release
figures as there is a risk of identifying individuals.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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