Community Charge Benefit (Hansard, 18 April 1990)

§ Mr. Franks
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received from community charge payers in Barrow about advice by the Barrow district council concerning community charge benefit following the Budget; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mrs. Gillian Shephard
No representations on any advice given by Barrow district council have so far been received.

§ Mr. Teddy Taylor
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing the amount of community charge benefit which will accrue to a household, assuming that transitional relief does not apply, where the earnings of the couple are £160 and £50, respectively, the community charge is £420 per person and the said persons are(a) a married couple or (b) two persons not falling within the category of cohabiting or married couples; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mrs. Gillian Shephard
Assuming the figures quoted refer to earnings net of tax and national insurance contributions,(a) a married couple with combined net earnings of £210 per week would not qualify for community charge benefit, and (b) of two single people not living together as husband and wife with net earnings of £160 and £50 per week respectively, the former would not qualify for community charge benefit and the other would qualify for £5.20 per week.

§ Mr. Teddy Taylor
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will take steps to adjust the arrangements for community charge benefit so that married couples who are both employed may be treated in the same way as persons living in the same accommodation who are not married and not regarded as cohabiting couples; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mrs. Gillian Shephard
We have no such plans. The structure of community charge benefit is designed to ensure that the recipients' net income, after paying their community charge, is no lower than if they received income support. The assessment rules therefore follow those for income support in assessing married couples differently from two single people who are not living together as husband and wife.

§ Mr. Meacher
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out, by regions and by amounts, as much information as is available to him about the take-up so far of poll tax benefit.

§ Mrs. Gillian Shephard
The Department does not make forecasts of the number of people entitled to income-related benefits. Take-up estimates are made as and when they can be derived from historical survey data. Take-up estimates for community charge benefit will not be available before 1992.