§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for how long the housing benefit claim from the Isle of Wight county council has been outstanding.
§ Miss WiddecombeIn the Isle of Wight the housing authorities are the two district councils, Medina and South Wight. Both authorities have outstanding subsidy claims in respect of housing benefit paid to people in local authority residential homes in the financial years 1985–86 and 1986–87. Payment of these claims is subject to reaching agreement with the Department on the amount of benefit for which subsidy is payable.
Payments of general housing benefit subsidy to Medina are up to date. The settlement for South Wight for 1988–89 195W has not been finalised because its claim has yet to satisfy fully the requirements of the district auditor and the Department. However, as is customary, the council received monthly payments on account throughout 1988–89, based upon its own estimates of housing benefit expenditure.