HC Deb 27 November 1968 vol 774 cc143-4W
Mr. Frank Allaun

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many local authorities use the same statement of income for rate and rent rebates, as suggested in the Ministry Circular 46/47 paragraph 24; and if he will state the names of authorities which do this.

Mr. MacColl

I regret this information is not available, but the income limits used for the assessment of rate rebates, and the income scales contained in the appendix to the Minister's circular 46/67 on rent rebates, are as follows.

Rate Rebates

Under the new higher income limits, householders qualify for a rate rebate if their recent gross income (received in the last calendar half year before the period for which rebate is claimed) averages not much more than:

  1. (1) £9 a week for single, widowed, separated or divorced householders.
  2. (2) £11 a week for married householders.
  3. (3) Plus in either case £2 a week for each dependent child.
Householders whose income does not exceed the income limit qualify for the full rate rebate of two-thirds of the amount by which their rate payment exceeds £3 15s. for the rating half year. Householders whose income is above the income limit, may still qualify for a reduced amount of rebate. For every £1 by which total income over the half year period is above the income limit, the rebate is reduced by 5s.

The rent rebate scheme set out in the appendix to circular 46/67 was designed for illustrative purposes only, and the circular emphasised that it was for each local authority to decide what adjustments, if any, would be required to meet local needs and conditions. Consequently, many authorities who exercise their statutory discretion to operate a rent rebate scheme do not follow the provisions of the illustrative scheme. This scheme provided for the following allowances to be deducted from gross income:

  1. (1) £5 a week for a single person.
  2. (2) £8 a week for a married person, (or widow(er), with one or more dependent children).
  3. (3) £1 a week for each child under school age or under 19 and in full time education.
  4. (4) The first £2 of a wife's earnings.
  5. (5) The first £2 of a disability pension.
All tenants would pay a minimum rent of between 10s. and 17s. 6d. a week to which would be added the following proportions of assessed income left after the allowances set out above:

First £5 of assessed income—one sixth.

Remainder of assessed income—one quarter.

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