§ 13. Mrs MahonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to meet the housing associations to discuss the level of housing benefit for income support claimants.
§ Miss WiddecombeWe have no plans to do so and I am not aware of any requests to this Department for such a meeting.
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Housing benefit cases in England (May 1990) Rent rebate Rent allowance Cases Average benefit £ Cases Average benefit £ With income support Pensioners (claimant or partner aged 60 or over) 571,000 21.94 189,000 24.67 Lone Parents1 327,000 25.05 91,000 36.74 Others2 444,000 22.82 235,000 34.61 Total 1,343,000 22.98 515,000 31.28 Without income support Pensioners (claimant or partner aged 60 or over) 737,000 15.95 201,000 18.50 Lone Parents1 37,000 18.34 10,000 36.24 Others2 190,000 17.24 200,000 18.03 Total 964,000 16.28 411,000 19.07 Total all cases Pensioners (claimant or partner aged 60 or over) 1,308,000 18.57 390,000 21.49 Lone Parents1 365,000 24.36 100,000 36.69 Others2 634,000 21.15 436,000 26.98
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the latest estimates for England of(a) the number of households receiving housing benefit, (b) the average amount of housing benefit paid and (c) the cost of housing benefit, distinguishing (i) those households which receive income support and those which do not, (ii) rent rebates and rent allowances and (iii) pensioner households, lone parent families, two parent families, childless couples and others.
§ Miss Widdecombe[holding answer 26 February 1992]: The information available is set out in the table.
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Housing Benefit Expenditure 1990–91 IS NON IS £ million 1991–92 IS NON IS £ million Rent Rebate (England) Pensioners (Claimant or partner aged 60 or over) 621 692 483 752 Lone Parents1 441 47 462 47 Others2 590 176 712 212 Total 1,652 915 1,657 1,010 Rent Allowance (Great Britain)3 Pensioners (Claimant or partner aged 60 or over) 257 281 250 371 Lone Parents1 197 26 259 33 Others2 546 238 862 341 Total 1,000 545 1,371 744 Source:1990.91 data is consistent with the Departmental Report. Estimated outturn expenditure figures have been provided for 1991–92. Notes: 1 Lone parents are defined as those in receipt of the lone parent premium. 2 "Others" include two parent families and childless couples because the information on these two categories is not available. 3 Information for England only is not available.
Rent rebate Rent allowance Cases Average benefit £ Cases Average benefit £ Total 2,307,000 20.18 925,000 25.86 Source: Housing benefit and Community Charge Benefit Management Information System annual 1 per cent, sample for May 1990. 1 Lone parents are defined as those in receipt of the lone parent premium. 2 "Others" includes two parent families and childless couples because the information on these two categories is not available.
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has for the improvement of contact between his Department and London local authorities to speed up the payment of housing benefit.
§ Miss WiddecombeThe Department and the Benefits Agency keep the arrangements for housing benefit liaison with local authorities under constant review. Discussions are currently taking place with the Benefits Agency and the local authority associations on the preparation of a national service level agreement. This will provide a model framework for individual local authorities and social security districts throughout Great Britain, allowing them to negotiate local agreements which more closely suit local needs. One of the first local agreements will operate between certain London authorities and the Glasgow benefits centre. In addition to these initiatives, regular liaison meetings, at working and management levels, are actively encouraged. Finally, the forms used by the Benefits Agency to supply information to local authorities are to be improved later this year. With these improvements in place, all authorities should see gains in the quality of service provided.