§ Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how the community charge will be collected from homeless families, eligible for an 80 per cent. rebate, who have been placed in temporary accommodation in another borough; and if he will estimate the administrative cost of the housing benefit being assessed by the placing authority and the community charge being collected by the receiving authority.
§ Mr. PortilloGenerally the sole or main residence of such families would be expected to move to the receiving authority and the community charge would be paid at the new address. If the accommodation was designated for the collective charge, payments would be made to the receiving authority through the landlord, otherwise, 379W payments would be made directly to the authority. Information is not available in the detail requested on cost of housing benefit administration or collection of the community charge.
§ Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures will be taken to ensure that families in bed-and-breakfast or temporary accommodation receive adequate information regarding the collection of the community charge and advising them of rebates available; and what safeguards there will be to ensure the confidentiality of financial information for those people and families whose tax is collected under a collective charge.
§ Mr. PortilloAdvice has been given to local authorities in community charge practice notes 14 and 21. The landlord of a collective charge property will not need to hold information other than the names of qualifying individuals, the periods during which they are resident and the amounts payable by way of contribution for each day by the individuals, These records may be inspected by the local authority. A community charge benefit claimant will have his or her benefit paid by the authority either directly or by way of a voucher. There is no need for the landlord of a collective charge property to hold separate information about an individual's financial status.