§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is aware of the present practice whereby those retirement pensioners requiring a supplementary payment to pay for increased rents undergo a means test basis and that these rent increases are paid to the landlord without test; and whether he will take steps to reverse this system and have a means test on the landlord to ascertain whether he needs to increase his rent.
§ Mr. EnnalsAlthough a retirement pensioner who claims supplementary benefit for the first time following a rent increase will have to undergo a test of means to establish the amount, if any, of supplementary pension to which he is entitled, a further test of this kind is not necessary where a person whose rent is increased is already receiving supplementary benefit. The Supplementary Benefits Commission does not, of course, have power to inquire into a landlord's means unless he is himself claiming supplementary benefit. Any question of putting restrictions on a landlord's right to increase the rent of his property is one for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Local Government and Regional Planning.