§ Mrs. Beckettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report his Department's estimates of the number of (a) pensioner 340W households, (b) families with children and (c) other households, who have (i) suffered a reduction in their housing benefit entitlement and (ii) lost all entitlement to housing benefit, as a result of changes to the tapers, minimum payment rules and high rent area authorisation formula, respectively, at April 1983, April 1984, November 1984, April 1985 and November 1985; and if he will also give his estimate of the cumulative savings made as a result of these changes.
§ Mrs. Beckettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give his Department's latest estimate of the number of households receiving certificated housing benefit who are receiving assistance towards amenity charges from the local authority as part of the Housing benefit scheme; and what proportion of these are receiving (a) up to £1 a week, (b) £1 to £2 a week, (c) £2 to £3 a week and (d) over £3 a week towards amenity charges.
§ Mr. MajorI regret that the information necessary to make such an estimate is not currently available to the department.
§ Mrs. Beckettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give his Department's latest estimate of the number of local authorities operating local schemes under the housing benefit scheme, the number of households receiving enhanced benefit under such local schemes, the average value of such enhancements and the total cost of such enhancements to the authorities.
§ Mr. MajorThe latest information from authorities' subsidy claims for 1985–86, which updates that given in my predecessor's reply to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 29 April at column48, indicates that 284 authorities are currently running local schemes at a total cost of just over £35 million. Information is not collected centrally on the number of households receiving enhanced benefit or the average value of the enhancement.
§ Mrs. Beckettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the gross income level at which (a) rent rebate or allowance and (b) rate rebate would cease to be payable at 1985–85 needs allowance levels to (i) a single pensioner, (ii) a pensioner couple, (iii) a family whose head of household is in employment, with one dependent child and (iv) a family whose head of household is in employment, with two dependent children. who in each case is paying (A) the average local authority rent and (B) the average local authority rate, given, respectively, rent tapers of 17 per cent., 21 per cent., 26 per cent. and 29 per cent., and rate tapers of 6 per cent., 7 per cent., 9 per cent., and 13 per cent.
§ Mr. MajorThe gross income levels at which rent rebates or allowances and rate rebates would no longer be payable are as follows:
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Table A Rent rebates of allowances Gross income (£'s) with a taper of 17 per cent. 21 per cent. 26 per cent. 29 per cent. (i) a single pensioner 94.35 85.63 78.50 75.40 (ii) a pensioner couple 116.85 108.13 101.00 97.90 (iii) MC with 1 child (one earner) 153.45 143.65 135.64 132.16 (iv) MC with 2 children (one earner) 171.83 161.29 15268 148.94
Table B Rate rebates Gross income (£'s) with a taper of 6 per cent. 7 per cent. 9 per cent. 13 per cent. (i) a single pensioner 92.31 86.06 77.73 68.75 (ii) a pensioner couple 114.81 108.56 100.23 9125 (iii) MC with 1 child (one earner) 155.76 148.08 137.84 12682 (iv) MC with 2 children (one earner) 171.26 163.44 153.01 141.78 MC=Married couple.
Notes:
1. The following rent and rate levels respectively have been assumed for the various household types: £13.80 and £5.20 for (i) and (ii); £15.40 and £6.20 for (iii); £16.50 and £6.30 for (iv).
2. The current minimum benefit level of 50p for both rents and rates has been used throughout.
§ Mrs. Beckettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the number of households, respectively, receiving (a) certified and (b) standard housing benefit and containing non-dependant, in respect of whom deductions from housing benefit are made; and if he will estimate the proportion in each case who are subject to either the higher or the lower rate of non-dependant deduction.
§ Mr. MajorWe estimate that there are between 400,000 and 500,000 householders receiving certificated housing benefit who have deductions made from their housing benefit in respect of non-dependants. A similar number receiving standard housing benefit has deductions made from that benefit for the same reason.
Information is not available regarding the level of non-dependant deductions made from housing benefit.
§ Mrs. Beckettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give his Department's latest estimate of the proportion of (a) pensioner households, (b) households with dependent children and (c) other households who are taking up their entitlement to rent rebates, rent allowances and rate rebates under the housing benefit scheme, showing the division of these between standard and certificateded benefit.
§ Mr. MajorReliable estimates of the take-up of standard housing benefit are not expected to be available until early next year when data from the 1984 family expenditure survey have been analysed. The 1983 family expenditure survey is not regarded as reliable in this respect as it was carried out in the same year as the changeover to the new scheme.
We expect take-up of certificated housing benefit to be close to 100 per cent. since entitlement is automatic on a householder successfully claiming supplementary benefit.
§ Mrs. Beckettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give his Department's latest estimate of the number of households (a) eligible to receive and (b) receiving housing benefit supplement and the average amount of housing benefit supplement payments made.
§ Mr. MajorWe estimate that about half a million people are eligible for housing benefit supplement.
342WInformation from local authority subsidy claims for the 1983–84 financial year—the latest available date—indicated that there were 228,000 households receiving housing benefit supplement. The average weekly payment was £2.42 per week.
§ Mrs. Beckettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the latest estimates of the number of households receiving housing benefit in Great Britain, showing (a) the division between standard and certificated cases, (b) the division between home owners, council tenants and others, (c) the division between pensioner households, families with children and others, (d) the number receiving rent rebates or allowances only, (e) the number receiving both a rent rebate or allowance and a rate rebate and (f) the number receiving a rate rebate only.
§ Mrs. Beckettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are his Department's latest available figures for 1985 on (a) the number of cases on which a review of housing benefit entitlement has been requested, (b) the number of cases referred to a review board hearing, (c) the number of such cases in which the authority's original decision was (i) altered and (ii) upheld and (d) the number of cases referred to review boards involving representations about (A) eligible rent and rates, (B) non-dependants or sub-tenants (C) overpayments and (D) other matters.
§ Mr. MajorThe latest available figures are for the period 1 January 1985 to 30 September 1985 and are taken from returns from around 7 per cent. of all authorities.
343W
Housing benefit reviews Great Britain 1985 a. Number of reviews requested 1,340 b. Number of cases referred to review board 40* c. Number of original decisions i. revised 15 ii. upheld 20 d. Number of cases concerning i. eligible rent and rates 10 ii. non dependents and sub-tenants 4 iii. overpayments 1 iv. other matters 20 Note: * includes 5 cases which have been adjourned
§ Mrs. Beckettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his Department's latest estimate of the number of additional staff employed by local authorities as a result of the introduction of the housing benefit scheme.
§ Mr. MajorLocal authorities have been asked to provide estimates of the number of additional staff required to administer the housing benefit scheme only in its first year of operation in 1983–84. Their 1983–84 subsidy claims indicate that about 3,750 additional staff were employed to administer the housing benefits scheme.