§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he has taken in the past 12 months to find out to what extent income support claimants were in arrears with their mortgage payments, and what information has become available to his Department, centrally or locally, as a result.
§ Mr. BurtAll income support claimants with mortgages have been sent a form, which they were required to have completed and returned by their lenders, giving information about their mortgage account. If the account is in arrears, the total arrears and details of payments made in the last three months are entered on the form. The completed forms are kept with the claimant's case papers for use in calculating and paying the mortgage interest element of income support. The information on the forms is not collated centrally or locally.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many and what percentage of income support claimants in the South Gwent and Islwyn district with mortgage liabilities were in arrears with their mortgage payments, in total and by ranges of amounts of arrears and numbers of monthly instalments unpaid, at the latest date for which figures are available.
§ Mr. BurtI understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.