§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if there is any maximum level of income above which (a) one single ratepayer or (b) the occupants of a single rated dwelling shall be deemed to be ineligible for rate rebate.
§ Mr. KingThere is no single statutory maximum income level for rate rebate purposes. But for any given ratepayer the amount of the rebate will taper off as his income rises, and will reach a cut-off point at some income level; this cut-off point will depend on the size of his rate bill and on his family circumstances.
In practice, nearly all the help available through rebates goes to those at the lower end of the income scale. In 1978–79 only 287W about 1 per cent. of rebate recipients were people with incomes in excess of £6,000 a year.
§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment, in the light of the fact that, by commuting the total of eligible allowances, including needs allowance and attendance allowance, disregard of pension and pay of children in regular employment as well as lodgers, a ratepayer in London with an income of approximately £23,000 qualifies for rate rebate, if he is satisfied with the present system of such allowances.
§ Mr. KingOnly under very exceptional circumstances would a ratepayer with an annual income £23,000 qualify for a rate rebate and I am not aware of any such cases in practice. The allowances in the scheme are kept under regular review and I am satisfied that they are appropriate to the objectives of the scheme.