Commentary on Sections Part 3: Other benefit changes Section 71: Purposes of discretionary payments
350.Section 138 of the SSCBA 1992 makes provision for social fund payments. Subsection (1)(a) provides for payments of prescribed amounts in respect of maternity and funeral expenses, while subsection (1)(b) allows the award of discretionary payments by way of community care grants, crisis loans or budgeting loans to meet other needs, which suggests that needs covered by payments under section 138(1)(a) may not be met by discretionary payments. Pending abolition of the discretionary social fund this section makes an amendment to section 138 (and section 72 makes amendments to section 140). Section 71 amends section 138(1)(b) to enable payment of budgeting loans for maternity and funeral expenses. Thus a person who applies for a maternity or funeral payment under the prescribed scheme may be able to apply for a budgeting loan to meet costs also covered by the prescribed payment.