§ 40. Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which benefits have been withdrawn from individuals or households on rent strike; how many withdrawals have been made of each type of benefit; and how much public expenditure has been reduced in the case of each benefit both in aggregate and per average household.
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§ Mr. David HowellUnemployment benefit has been re-directed in 1,000 cases to meet the liabilities of rent defaulters: sickness benefit in 1,200: supplementary benefit in 2,000: pensions in 2,000: family allowances in 5,500: and other benefits in 1,000 cases.
There has been no reduction in public expenditure. The allocation benefits have been paid direct to the housing authorities rather than to the normal beneficiaries.