§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide the latest available estimates of the total numbers of recipients of standard housing benefits, divided between rate assistance and rent assistance; how many in each category have income above and below the needs allowance; if he will give the current year and full year estimates of the expenditure saving due to the increase in the rate taper to 13 pence and estimate of the number of claimants who will be adversely affected by the taper increase without taking account of the increase in the child needs allowance; how many of these losers will lose eligibility to rate rebates altogether; and if he will as far as possible break the above estimates down as between pensioners, working householders and others.
§ Mr. Newton[pursuant to his reply, 24 June 1985, c. 335]: The latest estimates of recipients of housing benefit not on supplementary benefit relate to November 1985. The figures are given in table 1. The estimates take account of caseload changes indicated by the recent initial subsidy claims for 1985–86 from local authorities; the recently announced increases in benefit rates; the proposed increase in the rate rebate taper above the needs allowance and the real improvement in the dependent child addition to the needs allowance. Estimates of the numbers affected by the proposed rates taper change and the numbers who will not receive a rate rebate which they would otherwise have received are given in table 2. The estimated expenditure saving from the increase in the rate rebate taper change will be £20 million in a part year and £57 million in a full year.
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Table 2. Estimated Number of Households Affected by November 1985 Rates Taper Change, and Numbers Losing all Rate Rebate Thousands, Great Britain Household Type Number Affected by Rates Taper Change Number Losing all Rate Rebate Pensioners 1,470 270 Working 270 100 Other 330 80 All 2,060 460