HC Deb 06 May 1983 vol 42 cc171-2W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his reply dated 14 March, Official Report, c. 53, concerning housing benefit, whether he will publish a breakdown of the estimate to show the numbers on rent allowances, those on supplementary benefit, and the numbers in different classes of accommodation such as council housing.

Mr. Rossi

The estimated breakdown is as follows:

Thousands
Local authority tenants Private tenants Owner occupiers
Supplementary benefit claimants on housing benefit 1,780 530 590
People "floated off" supplementary benefit onto standard housing benefit on the introduction of the scheme 190 40 10
Other standard cases in receipt of a:
—rent rebate 1,540
—rent allowance 230
—rate rebate 1,550 320 1,640

Notes:

1. The figures shown do not add up to the total of 6–7 million people estimated to be receiving housing, benefit in April 1983 because most (but not all) of the standard cases receiving a rent rebate or rent allowance also receive a rate rebate.

2. The figures in the "private tenants" column include private tenants in all types of private accommodation, except for rate rebates, where tenants in unfurnished private accommodation only can be separately identified (any other private tenants in receipt of a rate rebate are included in the "owner occupiers" column).