§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has made any estimate of the number of households losing benefit as a result of (a) less generous interpretations by the local authority than his Department of eligible rent, (b) failure to identify housing benefit supplement entitlement and (c) failure to give full benefit entitlement towards heating charges.
§ Dr. BoysonInformation on which to base the estimates requested is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. On items(a) and (c) the relevant housing benefit provisions are similar but not identical to the previous supplementary benefit provisions. The majority of claimants will be entitled to the same amount of or more benefit.
§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many local authorities have not yet set up review boards in respect of the housing benefit scheme.
§ Dr. BoysonI am not aware of any authority which has not set up a review board following a request for a review under regulation 47 of the Housing Benefits Regulations 1982.