Rent and Rate Rebates (Hansard, 24 January 1980)

§ Mr. Michael Brown
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the total cost of rent rebates in each of the last 10 years.

§ Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg
The information is as follows:

£ million (outturn prices)

Financial year Cost of rent rebates in England and Wales

1969–70 15

1970–71 18

1971–72 17

1972–73 77

1973–74 167

1974–75 199

1975–76 232

1976–77 290

1977–78 343

1978–79 363

Notes:

1. The costs of administering the rebate scheme are excluded from the above figures.

2. The mandatory rent rebate scheme was introduced in October 1972.

3. For 1972–73 and 1973–74 the figures include the rent rebates granted directly to tenants receiving supplementary benefit. For subsequent years, the figures include the rent rebate element of the supplementary benefit payment.

§ Mr. Field
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the number of families with children in receipt of (a) rent rebates, (b) rent allowances and (c) rate rebates for each year since 1975; and if he will give estimates of the percentage of families eligible which these figures represent.

§ Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg
It is estimated that in England and Wales in 1978 about 373W 200,000 households with dependent children received rent rebates and that about 350,000 received rate rebates. No reliable estimate can be made for year to year changes; the number of households with dependent children which are eligible for or receive rent allowances; or the number of households which are eligible for rent and rate rebates.

	£ million (outturn prices)
Financial year	Cost of rent rebates in England and Wales
1969–70	15
1970–71	18
1971–72	17
1972–73	77
1973–74	167
1974–75	199
1975–76	232
1976–77	290
1977–78	343
1978–79	363
Notes:
1. The costs of administering the rebate scheme are excluded from the above figures.
2. The mandatory rent rebate scheme was introduced in October 1972.
3. For 1972–73 and 1973–74 the figures include the rent rebates granted directly to tenants receiving supplementary benefit. For subsequent years, the figures include the rent rebate element of the supplementary benefit payment.