§ 12. Mr. Fittasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the workings of the rent rebate scheme.
§ Mr. ConcannonThe rent rebate scheme in Northern Ireland, which applies to the Housing Executive's tenants, came into operation on 7th April 1975. The basis of the scheme, as in the rest254W of the United Kingdom, is the comparison of a family's gross income with its "needs allowance".
At 31st March 1976, £880,000 had been paid to the executive in respect of the scheme. At that date 18,985 tenants had applied for rent rebates; 11,815 were receiving rebates, of whom over 4,500 were getting their full rent rebated. A further 1,128 applications were being processed at that time. The current weekly cost to public funds of the rent rebate scheme is about £26,000. The average rent rebate at 31st March was £1.86. At 31st May 1976, average rent in Northern Ireland was £3.06 as against £4.91 in England and Wales.
Every opportunity has been taken to publicise the scheme, and I have repeatedly encouraged tenants to apply. I am happy to say that some 70 per cent. of the tenants who are estimated to be eligible for some assistance towards their rent are now receiving it, either through supplementary benefits or rent rebates. Tenants who have not made arrangements to pay off rent arrears are not eligible for rebates but some 18,000 of the 33,000 tenants who are in arreas of over £20 have now made arrangements to start paying off their arrears.