§ 51. Mr. FranksTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what he is doing to help young people who are experiencing particular difficulty in living independently.
§ Mr. Peter LloydI refer my hon. Friend to my hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Mr. Lester) on 13 March, at columns27–8.
§ Ms. WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to ensure that no young person in Stoke on Trent North will be evicted as a direct result of the benefit changes on 10 April.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe principal aim of the reform of income support for people living in board and lodging accommodation is to put this group on a par with the majority of households who look to the housing benefit scheme for help with accommodation costs and income support for help with other necessities. The new arrangements therefore take a substantial step towards making the social security system neutral as to accommodation type, thereby removing perverse incentives for both claimants and landlords towards particular kinds of housing. Help with any reasonable lodging charge is available through housing benefit. For the majority of boarders, transitional arrangements are in place to make good any shortfall between the new and old levels of
Full board: charge £55 a week Claimant type1 Basic income support £ Income support transitional protection2 £ Other income £ Income support entitlement £ Housing benefit entitlement3 £ Total income £ Disposable income4 £ March 1989 16-year-old on YTS 65.30 — 29.50 35.80 — 65.30 7.80 17-year-old on YTS 65.30 — 35.00 30.30 — 65.30 78.0 17-year-old not on YTS5 65.30 — — 65.30 — 65.30 10.30 April 1989 16-year-old on YTS 20.80 18.30 29.50 9.60 26.20 65.30 7.80 17-year-old on YTS 20.80 18.30 35.00 4.10 26.20 65.30 7.80 17-year-old not on YTS 20.80 18.30 — 39.10 26.20 65.30 10.30 62W
Claimant type1 Basic income support £ Income support transitional protection2 £ Other income £ Income support entitlement £ Housing benefit entitlement3 £ Total income £ Disposable income4 £ March 1989 16-year-old on YTS 65.15 — 29.50 35.65 — 65.15 18.65 17-year-old on YTS 65.15 — 35.00 30.15 — 65.15 18.65 17-year-old not on YTS5 65.15 — — 65.15 — 65.15 21.15 April 1989 16-year-old on YTS 20.80 18.15 29.50 9.45 26.20 65.15 18.65 17-year-old on YTS 20.80 18.15 35.00 3.95 26.20 65.15 18.65 17-year-old not on YTS 20.80 18.15 — 38.95 26.20 65.15 21.15 benefit for up to three months. The Government believe that these arrangements give sufficient time for both claimants and landlords to adapt to the new benefit rules.
§ Ms. MowlamTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish tables, similar to those in his Department's tax/benefit model table, showing the calculation of net weekly spending power of each of the following (i) a 16-year-old person on first year YTS, (ii) a 17-year-old person on second year YTS and (iii) a 17-year-old person leaving care and not on a YTS scheme, both under the existing system for paying board and lodging and under the proposed system from April, and in all tables working on the following assumptions: that the persons have no parents and must live independently in the Redcar Department of Social Security ILO area(a) in full board accommodation, occupying one room costing £55 per week, (b) in bed, breakfast and evening meal accommodation, occupying one room costing £44 per week and (c) in bed-and-breakfast accommodation, occupying one room costing £33 per week that in all cases the young person incurs a travelling cost to and from YTS, of £2.50 per week and that the rent and rates element of the charge consists of £23 rent, £4 general rates, £1 water rates and charges of £1 for laundry and £1 for cleaning; and in each case, if he will indicate the items and services which remain to be met by the individual out of their net weekly income.
§ Mr. Peter Lloyd[holding answer 4 April 1989]: The information requested is as follows:
63W
Bed and Breakfast: charge £33 a week Claimant type1 Basic income support £ Income support transitional protection2 £ Other income £ Income support entitlement £ Housing benefit entitlement3 £ Total income £ Disposable income4 £ March 1989 16-year-old on YTS 65.00 — 29.50 35.50 — 65.00 29.50 17-year-old on YTS 65.00 — 35.00 30.00 — 65.00 29.50 17-year-old not on YTS5 65.00 — — 65.00 — 65.00 32.00 April 1989 16-year-old on YTS 20.80 18.00 29.50 9.30 26.20 65.00 29.50 17-year-old on YTS 20.80 18.00 35.00 3.80 26.20 65.00 29.50 17-year-old not on YTS 20.80 18.00 — 38.80 26.20 65.00 32.00 Footnotes: 1 The tables show figures calculated on the basis that the same individual is claiming benefit in both March and April 1989. 2 To protect people who would receive less benefit overall as a result of the change in benefit rules, transitional protection is provided as follows: Long-term protection: for people in supported lodgings who receive care and support from the landlord. Up to 52 weeks: for families in hotels who are notsponsored by a local authority. Up to 13 weeks: for any other person on YTS or ET, or aged 25 or over, or a vulnerable person aged under 25. No protection: for fit, unemployed people aged under 25 who were previously subject to time limits. 3 Actual housing benefit entitlement would be calculated by the local authority by deducting from the overall changes given, of £55, £44 or £33, the appropriate amounts in respect of meals, fuel and other ineligible items to arrive at the eligible rent, which they may then restrict if they consider it to be unreasonably high. The actual eligible rent could accordingly be higher than the £23 suggested resulting in a higher level of housing benefit payable. For the purposes of these tables, housing benefit entitlement has however been calculated on the basis of the suggested rent of £23 (which it is assumed does not include the charges for water, laundry, cleaning, or any other ineligible items), and eligible rates of £3.20 (£4 less 20 per cent.). 4 Disposable income has been calculated by deducting the following expenses from the gross income of income support, housing benefit and YTS allowance (as appropriate): — Overall charge of £55, £44 or £33 respectively; — Travel expenses of £2.50 (for YTS participants) 5 It has been assumed that the individual a. is eligible for income support under regulation 13A of the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987; and
b. was exempt from board and lodging time limits by virtue of paragraph 16(4) of schedule 5 of the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987, which was in force immediately prior to 10 April 1989.