§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish figures for the last three years of the number of recipients of supplementary benefit who, because they have fallen into 87W arrears with their rent, have had the amount of their benefit reduced until they could provide evidence of having paid their rent.
§ Mr. DeanI regret that the information requested is not available, but the procedure is only appropriate in certain carefully defined circumstances and involves very few claimants. In these cases the claimant first receives each week the amount of the rent and the balance of benefit is paid on production of evidence that the rent has been paid.