Income Support: Mileage Allowance (P.62/2012): Comments of the Minister for Social Security

Information about the publication of Ministerial Decisions

A formal published “Ministerial Decision” is required as a record of the decision of a Minister (or an Assistant Minister where they have delegated authority) as they exercise their responsibilities and powers.

Ministers are elected by the States Assembly and have legal responsibilities and powers as “corporation sole” under the States of Jersey Law 2005 by virtue of their office and in their areas of responsibility, including entering into agreements, and under any legislation conferring on them powers.

An accurate record of “Ministerial Decisions” is vital to effective governance, including:

demonstrating that good governance, and clear lines of accountability and authority, are in place around decisions-making – including the reasons and basis on which a decision is made, and the action required to implement a decision
providing a record of decisions and actions that will be available for examination by States Members, and Panels and Committees of the States Assembly; the public, organisations, and the media; and as a historical record and point of reference for the conduct of public affairs

Ministers are individually accountable to the States Assembly, including for the actions of the departments and agencies which discharge their responsibilities.

The Freedom of Information Law (Jersey) Law 2011 is used as a guide when determining what information is be published. While there is a presumption toward publication to support of transparency and accountability, detailed information may not be published if, for example, it would constitute a breach of data protection, or disclosure would prejudice commercial interest.

A decision made 13 July 2012:

Decision Reference: MD-S-2012-0055
Decision Summary Title :	DS - Comment on P.62/2012		Date of Decision Summary:	12 July 2012
Decision Summary Author:	Policy and strategy director		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title :	WR - Comment on P.62/2012		Date of Written Report:	12 July 2012
Written Report Author:	Policy and strategy Director		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: States Comment on P.62/2012 – Income support -- Mileage allowance
Decision(s): The Minister decided to present a comment to the States with regard to Deputy G.P. Southern’s proposition P.62/2012 – Income support -- Mileage allowance
Reason(s) for Decision: Deputy Southern has put forward a proposition to request that the Social Security Minister disregards income received as mileage allowances from the calculation of income support. The attached comment contains the Social Security Minister’s comments on the proposition.
Resource Implications: None
Action required: Policy and strategy director to request the Greffier of the States to arrange for the comment to be presented to the States as soon as practicable.
Signature:		Position: Minister
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

Income Support: Mileage Allowance (P.62/2012): Comments of the Minister for Social Security

P.62

I fully support the sentiments behind this proposition but can confirm that it is unnecessary as the Income Support guidelines already provide for a full disregard in respect of expenses provided as a volunteer

The relevant section of the IS Policy Guidelines reads as follows:

“Honorary service and volunteers

People undertaking honorary service, with a parish or charity and other volunteers may receive payments from those organisations to cover their expenses. These payments are not included as income.”

The overall treatment of volunteers can be summarised as follows:

Genuine and reasonable volunteer expenses are completely exempt from the income support calculation, regardless of the level of those expenses.

Working age volunteers (i.e. aged under 65) who are receiving income support and have been identified as actively seeking work, can undertake volunteering duties as long as these do not affect the actively seeking work activities that the individual is required to undertake in order to continue to receive benefit.

Appropriate volunteering activity can be very helpful in assisting an unemployed person gain employment related skills and improve confidence. However, for someone who is required to actively seek work as a condition for the receipt of Income Support, these activities should be undertaken with a view to moving into employment.

I fully support the policy of the Health and Social Services Department to encourage more people to volunteer. However, volunteering cannot be seen as a substitute for seeking paid employment. Officers from both departments are currently working together to set out guidelines for the type and duration of volunteering activity that would be considered appropriate to be undertaken by an individual receiving Income Support and subject to actively seeking work conditions.

Page 4 of the report accompanying P.62 includes a quote from an earlier e-mail from the Social Security Department. Although it is not clear from the written report, this is an extract from a longer e-mail referring to a specific and very unusual historic situation. I can confirm that this situation will not arise again, as the policy has been clarified and I reiterate that all mileage reimbursement payments provided in respect of voluntary work are completely disregarded when calculating income support entitlement.

In summary, the treatment of income support claimants undertaking voluntary work is completely un-affected by the success or failure of this proposition. Their genuine and reasonable expenses are fully disregarded and will continue to be fully disregarded.

For the reasons stated above the Minister considers that the proposition is unnecessary as, even if it were adopted, there is no further action for the Minister to take. As the Minister’s current policy already makes it clear that mileage allowances are fully disregarded for income support purposes it would not be a productive use of the time of the States to debate this matter and the Minister therefore urges Deputy Southern to withdraw it.