HC Deb 23 July 1996 vol 282 cc293-5W
Dr. Godman

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow can expect an answer to his letter of 18 June to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary about the Housing Benefit (General) Amendment Regulations 1996, S.I. 1996, No. 965. [39000]

Mr. Roger Evans

I replied to the hon. Member on Monday 22 July 1996.

Mr. Bayley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much housing benefit was paid to residents of(a) York and (b) North Yorkshire in each year since 1979–80. [38939]

Mr. Evans

The available information is set out in the table:

£ millions
Year York North Yorkshire
1983–84 3.8 18.4
1984–85 4.4 20.9
1985–86 5.3 23.7
1986–87 5.6 25.6
1987–88 5.6 25.8
1988–89 5.7 26.2
1989–90 7.2 29.5
1990–91 9.2 32.8
1991–92 10.1 38.8
1992–93 14.1 56.4
£ millions
Year York North Yorkshire
1993–94 16.8 67.3
1994–95 19.5 78.5

Source:

DSS Finance and Planning Division and Department of the Environment.

Notes:

1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred thousand.

2. Information is only available from the introduction of the national scheme in 1983–84.

Mr. Bayley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of families with children aged under 18 years received housing benefit in(a) York, (b) North Yorkshire, (c) Yorkshire and Humberside and (d) England in each year since 1979. [38941]

Mr. Evans

The available information is set out in the table:

Percentages of families with children aged under 18, who are in receipt of Housing Benefit for England
Year Percentage
1990 13
1991 14
1992 17
1993 19
1994 19
1995 20

Source:

1. Housing Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. sample enquiry taken at May of each year given.

2. Child Benefit 1 per cent. sample enquiry at December 1994 and 4 per cent. sample enquiry at December for 1993, 1992, 1991, 1990 and 1989. Includes families with children aged only 18 and 19.

Note:

Information is not available for York, North Yorkshire and Yorkshire and Humberside and the relevant national data were not collected prior to 1990.

Mr. Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate in each case of(a) the cost of and (b) the numbers gaining from a reduction in the housing benefit taper to 50 per cent. to people in receipt of (i) the carer premium, (ii) the lone parent premium and (iii) the disability premium. [39045]

Mr. Evans

The information is set out in the table.

The table shows, for each of the three groups, the estimated annual cost, the estimated number of current claimants who will gain from the change—gainers—and the estimated number of cases who will become newly entitled to and claim housing benefit as a result of the change—floaters on.

Group Cost (£ million) Gainers (thousands) Caseloads Floaters on (thousands)
Disability premium 70 245 15
Lone parent premium 55 110 25
Carer premium 0 5 0
Total 125 355 40

1. Estimates are based on the Family Expenditure Surveys of 1991, 1992 and 1993, uprated to 1996/97 prices and benefit levels. Expenditure estimates are rounded to the nearest £5 million, and caseloads to the nearest 5,000.

2. The cost and caseload estimates for the disability premium and the lone parent premium includes some cases who are also in receipt of the Carer Premium.