§ Mr. Robin CookTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants on transitional protection of housing benefit will lose all of it in April as a result of the application of the erosion factor.
§ Mr. Peter LloydApplications for transitional payments will continue to be received until 31 March 1989. Until they have all been received it is not possible to give figures on the numbers who will cease to receive payments when the erosion factor is implemented. However, as these transitional payments are to be reduced by £2 a week in April anyone receiving less than this amount will cease to receive payments in April 1989.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in what way the treatment of payments for rental purchase of a house under the income support regulations differs from the treatment of such payments under the supplementary benefit regulations prior to 11 April.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThere was no change. Payments under rental purchase schemes have not been met from supplementary benefit or income support since 1983, when help with such payments was transferred to the new housing benefit scheme. Housing benefit continued to be available to rental purchasers after 11 April 1988, and as I announced in my reply to the hon. Member for Burnley (Mr. Pike) on 14 November 1988 at columns631-632 we have no plans to change this.