§ Mr. Altonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how and when the needs allowance of a tenant in receipt of rent and rate rebates is arrived at and when it is adjusted; whether the adjustment is made retrospective; and if the rebate is operable from the date of rent increase.
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§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe needs allowance for the rent and rate rebate schemes is normally uprated in line with increases in the supplementary benefit long term scale rate. The uprating takes place in November simultaneously with the uprating of social security benefits. It is effected by statutory instrument without retrospection. When rents increase, rebates are automatically increased.
§ Mr. Altonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average combined rent and rate increase for council tenants in England and Wales for 1980; what is now the average council tenant's rent, inclusive of rates; and how many of these tenants are in receipt of rent or rate rebates.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe combined weekly—unrebated—rent and rates for council tenants in England and Wales is provisionally estimated to have increased by about £1.80 as compared with October 1979. About 1 million council tenants are estimated to be in receipt of rent and /or rate rebates. In addition, over 1 million council tenants receive housing assistance through the supplementary benefit scheme.