At the moment Budgeting loans are paid as cash directly into applicant bank accounts if accepted, this means that the Government has no way of knowing what the Budgeting Laon has been spent on, or that it has been spent on any of the items that it was granted to pay for.

Should Budgeting Loans be paid as cash or should the DWP start issuing vouchers for the relevent stores?

For example, if somone applies for a new bed the DWP generally look online or in highstreet catalogues for the item and then see if they can verify the likley cost of the item whilst looking toward the lower end of the price range. Given that the DWP member of staff has already piced up the item would it not make just as much sence to issue vouchers for the shop or cataloge that they found it in?