§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he proposes to make provision for any form of appeals procedure in relation to housing benefits.
§ Mr. RossiNo. There is no statutory appeals procedure in the existing local authority housing assistance schemes, and we do not propose to introduce one for housing benefits.
§ Mr. Andrew. F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he proposes that under the new housing benefit scheme rent and rate rebates for a person living in an overspill housing scheme will be administered by one authority; and, if so, whether by the authority owning the houses or the authority in whose area they are found;
(2) whether, in the Government's proposals for a new housing benefit administered by local authorities, he intends that rent rebates should cover rents of garages, where (a) they are let with council or private rented houses or (b) they are let as separate lock-up garages;
(3) whether, in the Government's proposals for a new housing benefit administered by local authorities he intends that the rent rebate should cover a charge for a communal television aerial where (a) it is included in the rent or (b) it is made as a separate charge to be paid along with the rent;
(4) whether he intends in the new proposals for a local authority housing benefit that the existing local authority practice of taking into account a contribution from another 303W adult in the household not legally married to the householder will apply, or whether supplementary benefit cohabitation regulations will be applied;
(5) whether, in the proposals for a new housing benefit administered by local authorities, he intends rebates to be calculated on the basis of one week's income, as supplementary benefit is now calculated, or on the average of five weeks' income, as rent rebates are now calculated.
§ Mr. RossiThese detailed aspects of the housing benefit scheme are still under consideration within the Department or have yet to be discussed with the local authority associations.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, under the new housing benefit scheme, tenants on supplementary benefit will be eligible for any help with the replacement of broken windows, garden gates or such items, where the authority requires tenants to pay for their replacements, or with insurance to cover such items; and, if so, whether such assistance will be payable by the housing authority or by his Department.
§ Mr. RossiThe supplementary benefit scheme does not currently provide assistance with repairs to, or the insurance of, public sector property. This will not alter with the introduction of housing benefit.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether water and sewerage rates will be eligible for 100 per cent. rebates via the housing benefit under the new housing benefit proposals, or if such rebates will still be administered by the Department of Health and Social Security; and if rebates of less than 100 per cent. will be available to tenants and owners of private property.
§ Mr. RossiWater charges will continue to be met under supplementary benefit, as at present, except in Scotland where the water charges of all supplementary benefit recipients will be included in the housing benefit arrangements. Special arrangements are being devised for those local authorities in England and Wales which collect water charges from their tenants, so that the authorities will not have to collect these charges from tenants who are on supplementary benefit. We are considering whether these arrangements can be extended to other supplementary benefit claimants.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, under the proposed new housing benefit scheme, inclusive heating charges made
304W
Value of child support* for each child in standard rate tax-paying families expressed at November 1981† prices Children under age 11 Children aged 11–15 Children aged 16 and over Date† 1st child 2nd child 3rd¶ 1st child 2nd child 3rd¶ 1st child 2nd child 3rd¶ August 1946 4.52 6.20 6.20 4.52 6.20 6.20 4.52 6.20 6.20 April 1950 4.84 6.34 6.34 4.84 6.34 6.34 4.84 6.34 6.34 April 1955 5.93 7.88 7.88 5.93 7.88 7.88 5.93 7.88 7.88 April 1960 4.70 6.40 6.84 5.83 7.59 8.03 7.03 8.72 9.22 April 1964 4.77 6.27 6.71 5.77 7.38 7.71 6.83 8.38 8.77 April 1965 4.78 6.26 6.57 5.84 7.26 7.62 6.89 8.31 8.68 April 1966 4.62 6.04 6.35 5.63 7.00 7.36 6.65 8.02 8.38 April 1967 4.48 5.86 6.16 5.47 6.80 7.15 6.46 7.79 8.13 April 1968 4.29 5.38 5.66 5.24 6.32 6.61 6.18 7.22 7.55 April 1969 4.07 5.32 5.63 4.96 6.21 6.53 5.86 7.11 7.38 April 1970 3.85 5.04 5.33 4.70 5.88 6.18 5.55 6.73 6.98 April 1971 4.49 5.69 5.96 5.18 6.42 6.69 5.92 7.12 7.39 April 1972 4.22 5.35 5.60 4.88 6.04 6.30 5.57 6.70 6.95 April 1973 3.83 4.80 5.03 4.53 5.46 5.70 5.10 6.03 6.26 by a local authority for a district heating scheme would be subject to 100 per cent. rebate in appropriate circumstances.
§ Mr. RossiNo. Officials and the local authority associations considered whether it would be possible to meet inclusive heating charges through housing benefit for supplementary benefit recipients, but this did not prove feasible.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, under the new housing benefit scheme, it would still be possible for Department of Health and Social Security offices to make small direct debits from a person's remaining supplementary benefit in order gradually to reduce rent or rate arrears accumulated before they became eligible for 100 per cent. rent or rate rebates.
§ Mr. RossiIt would be possible, at a staff cost, for the department to continue making standard deductions from a person's supplementary benefit to reduce rent or rate arrears. We shall be discussing this possibility with the local authority associations.