Social budgeting loan query

[midge61]

Hi

 

My daughter took out a loan from the social in August 2006 and has had money deducted every week to repay it.

 

End of Sept 2008 she applied for another loan but it was refused because social fund said there was £300 outstanding on the loan. She checked with income support who said that it had all been repaid.

 

She has been passed from pillar to post trying to find out exactly what has happened.

 

She wrote over 8 weeks ago asking for a statement of this loan but both social fund and income support state they cannot supply this info!

 

How do we get this information?

 

Many thanks

[silverfox1961]

Hi,

It's too late to lodge an appeal as it has to be done within 28 days. Would it be worth re-applying. The rules say that you cannot apply for the same things within 6 months of applying but that only relates to when a loan was approved. As no loan was approved, she is well within her rights to re-apply.

In the additional information page, she can write about her previous loan attempt and state that she had been informed by DWP that her previous loan had been repaid.

She needs to be getting this done soon if she wants cash before christmas. At this time of year, loads of applications go in.

 

fox

[midge61]

Hi

 

She has been told she cannot re-apply because there is an amount outstanding.

 

What we want to do is get a statement of account to see if there is an amount left.

 

Social fund say they cannot supply this it has to be from IS but IS say that it has to come from SF.

 

She wrote over 8 weeks ago and they have confirmed that they received the letter (asking for proof of payments) but have said there is a backlog.

[silverfox1961]

I have no idea if this will work but, if she went to see the bods in charge of IS and ask them to pull up the screen where it says she owes nothing( as they've already stated that it has been repaid) then ask them to print a screenshot of that, send a copy to SF and then see what comes of it.

It's quite strange this as I have friends who have applied for budgeting loans whilst still having outstanding loans.

 

fox

[midge61]

Hi

 

Thanks for your help.

 

When she put in the new application (for£1500) they replied saying she could only have £600 at £6 a week or £400 at £3 a week as there was £360 outstanding on the other loan.

 

This is when she wrote saying that she believed the whole amount had been repaid. No reply from that although they say they have received the letter.

 

She doesn't want to accept another loan until this is sorted.

 

Both SF and IS refuse to allow her to go in and get it sorted and refuse to do anything over the phone that is why we are asking how to obtain the info from them. They must have to supply a statement of the payments made and when surely?

[ErikaPNP]

It has to come from Social Fund as it is this department that will have given her the loan. Don't let them tell you any different. Unless the case has gone to Debt Management.

 

It's quite strange this as I have friends who have applied for budgeting loans whilst still having outstanding loans.

 

It depends on individual circumstances. Although the Social Fund total limit is £1500, budgeting loans have a limit seperate to that (but not in addition to it). There is a limit for a single person, a seperate limit for couples and another limit for families. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but she will not get £1500 for a budgeting loan, as the budgeting loan limit is below this figure for everyone. Given the amount that was offered in the loan she recently applied for, I can only assume that she has children which are part of her Income Support claim. It is unlikely at this time of year that she would be offered more than £900 for a budgeting loan (if she has children) regardless of any outstanding debt, although she can claim for the excess through other Social Fund Loans. The limit for budgeting loans can change periodically throughout any financial year dependant on how much is left of the budget.

 

Regarding the queried amount, is she telephoning the number regarding this? If so she should ask for someone from the Recovery Team to call her back, unless the repayment has gone to the debt management centre, there will be a seperate number for that. What I would recommend is to write to the Social Fund Office that gave her the loan, address it for the attention of the Recovery Team Manager, and explain the situation and that you would like either confirmation in writing that the loan has been repaid or in the event that it is not repaid, a statement showing the original amount of the loan, what has been collected do far and what is outstanding. Make sure you mark the envelope "RESTRICTED" - this ensures that it will go directly to the person named on the envelope and not to anyone else. I'd also recommend sending it recorded delivery to make sure you have proof of delivery.

 

Income Support will probably only have limited access to the Social Fund system, and may only be able to view shortened data. Under the freedom of information act you are entitled to see any information held about you. If you have no joy, get your local MP involved as once an MP steps in they will move a whole lot quicker.

 

Hope this helps.

[midge61]

Hi

 

Thanks for the reply. The £600 she was offered was fair but she does not want to take without the so called out standing amount settled first.

 

We will now follow your advice of another letter to the SF and see what happens.

 

Thanks again

[ErikaPNP]

Best of luck with it midge. And like I said if they try to fob her off, get the MP invoved, she is entitled to that information and they cannot refuse to provide it.