§ Mr. Stallardasked the Secretary of State for Social Services which groups of claimants will receive topping-up payments under the new unified housing benefit.
§ Mr. RossiThose who cease receiving supplementary benefit as a result of the new scheme, and future claimants, who would have been entitled to supplementary benefit if the proposed housing benefit scheme had not been introduced, will be entitled to topping-up payments if their income, after meeting net housing costs, falls below the supplementary benefit minimum level. The large majority are likely to be pensioners.
§ Mr. Stallardasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make changes in the unified housing benefit for deductions for non-dependants in view of the fact that these deductions vary at the moment under the supplementary benefits system and local authority rent and rate rebates scheme.
§ Mr. RossiWe are currently considering how the various rates for non-dependant deductions in the current supplementary benefit and local authority rebate schemes could be harmonised under housing benefit.
§ Mr. Stallardasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many pensioners will be better off and how 158W many will be worse off under the proposed unified housing benefit provided for in the Social Security and Housing Benefits Bill.
§ Mr. RossiThe changes proposed in the consultative document "Assistance with Housing Costs" are expected to make an estimated 0.8 million pensioners better off by an average of £1.00 per week. Most will be recipients of rent and rate rebates and allowances, with incomes below the rebate/allowance needs allowance. Some will be supplementary pensioners. Approximately 1.1 million pensioners with incomes above the needs allowance are expected to be worse off. The average loss will be under 40p per week. No supplementary pensioner will lose.