Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to his Department's consultation response, entitled Infected Blood Support: Special Category Mechanism, published on 28 September 2017, if he will make it his policy to ensure that the NHS Business Services Authority has a benefits advisor to help advise those affected on social security issues.

Paragraph 2.11 of the Department consultation response to Infected blood support: special category mechanism, published on 28 September 2017 provided the following undertaking:

“The types of support the reformed discretionary scheme may provide in the future are:

A range of non-financial support and signposting including:

i. NHS, Social Care and wider Welfare System referrals

ii. Financial management advice and support

iii. Career and education advice and coaching

iv. Counselling and emotional support”

The NHS Business Services Authority will look to provide advice on social security issues as part of the above package.