| 释义 |
social fund
A fund currently administered by the Department of Work and Pensions. It was established in 1988, under the Social Security Act 1986, and replaced single payments of supplementary benefit for one-off needs. Until April 2013 there were two distinct parts of the social fund. The regulated social fund covered one-off payments for specific circumstances, such as winter fuel payments and Sure Start maternity grants. The discretionary social fund covered one-off payments for emergencies, such as community care grants, budgeting loans, and crisis loans. From April 2013 the discretionary social fund was abolished by means of the Welfare Reform Act 2012. Budgeting loans and crisis loans for benefit disallowance or sanction will become part of Universal Credit. Community care grants and crisis loans were also abolished from April 2013. Funding is now made available to local authorities in England and to the devolved administrations to provide such assistance as they see fit. |