Secretary for Social and Family Affairs (Sanctaria)
| Secretary of State for Social Welfare | |
|---|---|
 Sanctarian Coat of Arms | |
| Style |
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| Member of |
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| Reports to | Prime Minister of Sanctaria |
| Nominator | Prime Minister |
| Appointer | President of Sanctaria on the advice of the Prime Minister, and the consent of the Senate |
| Term length | At the Prime Minister's Pleasure No fixed term |
| Formation | 19 November 1974 |
| First holder | Dennis Clarke MP |
| Salary | S£280,000 |
| Website | welfare.gov.sct |
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The Secretary of State for Social Welfare, also known as the Secretary for Social Welfare and Welfare Secretary, is the head of the Sanctarian Department of Social Welfare, which is tasked with administering Sanctaria's welfare system. The current Education Secretary is Harry Bell. He was appointed to the post on 01 February 2018.
The position, and the Department, has been known by many names since its incarnation. Most commonly it has been called Family Affairs, however between 2015 and 2018, the position was known as the Secretary for Human Services in charge of the department with the same name.
Overview
The Secretary for Social Welfare is a senior advisor to the Prime Minister on matters relating to the nation's welfare system and the provisioning of income support. Examples of areas of policy that come under the purview of the Welfare Secretary include the development and enactment of government policy on income supplements, pensions policy, as well as identifying areas of social assistance that require improvement.
The position was originally established in 1974 as the Secretary for Family Affairs, in charge of the department of the same name. Original responsibilities of this department not only included the social welfare system, but also community and family supports, as well as the provisioning of social and child protection services. Later governments, however, moved these latter responsibilities were moved to other government departments.
Duties
Duties of the Welfare Secretary include, but are not limited to:
- Overall oversight and regulation of the provisioning of income support and welfare aids.
- Implementing government policy on issues such as fraud and sanctions.
- Identifying improved methods for the identification of, and the supplying of welfare to, at-risk claimants.
- Responsibility for the administration of pensions and pension-related benefits to entitled claimants.