§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services which local authorities in England and Wales are operating enhancement schemes under regulation 22 of the Housing Benefit Regulations 1982 and (a) what proportion of the 10 per cent. of the cost of the standard housing benefit scheme allowed for enhancement is being utilised by each of these authorities, (b) what are the sums involved, and (c) what types of enhancement they are operating.
§ Mr. WhitneyI regret that information relating to payments in exceptional circumstances under regulation 22 of the Housing Benefit Regulations 1982, and payments under local schemes under Section 30 of the Social Security and Housing Benefits Act 1982, is not available centrally.
§ Mrs. Beckettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many households, in total, have lost all entitlement to housing benefit as a result of changes to the tapers and minimum payments rules at April 1983, April 1984 and November 1984, showing the breakdown by household type and tenure.
§ Mr. WhitneyThis information is not available in the precise form requested. It was estimated that about 400,000 householders lost all entitlement to housing benefit at April 1983. In respect of all the April and November 1984 changes it was estimated that about half a million fewer households would receive housing benefit in November 1984; the estimated breakdown was as follows:
Number by household type pensioners 210,000 working 210,000 others 80,000 by tenure LA tenants 200,000 private tenants 40,000 owner-occupiers 250,000
§ Mrs. Beckettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the latest estimate of the number of standard housing benefit recipients receiving housing benefit supplement; and what percentage of the total number thought to be eligible for housing benefit supplement this represents.
§ Mr. WhitneyIt is estimated that there were about 200,000 housing benefit supplement recipients in 1983–84, the latest date for which estimates are available.506W These represent about three sevenths of those who were expected to qualify on the introduction of the housing benefit scheme.
§ Mrs. Beckettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give his latest estimates of the number of households receiving (a) standard housing benefit and (b) certificated housing benefit, in total and showing the division between home owners, council tenants and others, and between pensioner households, families with children and others.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe latest detailed estimates remain those that my hon. Friend the Member for Brent, North (Dr. Boyson) gave to the hon. Member in his reply of 23 July 1984, at column406. The latest indications, based on subsidy returns from local authorities, are that about 3½ million householders currently receive certificated housing benefit and about 4 million householders receive standard housing benefit.
§ Mrs. Beckettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are his Department's latest available figures on (i) the number of housing benefit cases on which a review has been requested, (ii) the number of these referred to a review board, (iii) of the cases so far heard at review board, the total number in which the authority's original determination was (a) altered and (b) upheld and (iv) the number of cases referred to review boards involving representations about (a) eligible rent/rates, (b) non-dependants or sub-tenants, (c) overpayments and (d) other matters.
§ Mr. WhitneyOn the basis of statistical returns made to the Department covering the period 1 April 1983 to 31 December 1984, 12,792 requests have been received for officer level reviews of housing benefit determinations. Of these, 368 cases have been referred to review boards. 318 original determinations were revised and 50 were upheld. The cases referred to the review boards fell into the following categories; some cases have been counted under more than one heading.
Number a. eligible rent/rates 315 b. non dependants or sub-tenants 10 c. overpayments 12 d. other matters 43