§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, following the introduction of the housing benefit scheme, if he will publish his Department's latest estimates of (a) the total number of certificated cases and (b) the total number of those lifted off supplementary benefit, and, of these, the number who qualified for housing benefit supplement.
§ Mr. RossiOur latest estimates are as follows:
Thousands Total number of certificated cases 2,900 Total number "floated off' supplementary benefit— 240 of whom, number qualifying for housing benefit supplement (which is itself supplementary benefit) 190 However, these estimates are being revised and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as the new figures are available.
212W
§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the reduction in staffing within his Department as a direct result of the implementation of the housing benefit scheme.
§ Mr. RossiA total of 2,445 posts will have been saved in the Department by 31 March 1984 as a direct result of the introduction of housing benefit.
§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the expenditure of local authorities on setting up costs for housing benefit.
§ Mr. RossiIt will not be possible to say what local authorities have spent on setting-up costs until their final claims for 1982–83 are all received. The claim forms for reimbursement were issued at the end of March.
§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases relating to the housing benefit scheme have been referred to the review boards: (a) in the partial start period and (b) subsequently.
§ Mr. RossiInformation is not held centrally on the operation of Review Boards in the partial start period. Arrangements have been made to collect such information from April onwards by way of quarterly returns, but the figures will not be available for some time yet.
§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many standard housing benefit recipients qualify for the transitional additions to limit token loss to 75p per week; how many actually receive these payments; and what is the average amount of these payments.
§ Mr. RossiAn estimated 580,000 standard housing benefit recipients will qualify for the transitional supplement to limit taper losses to 75p a week. All those who qualified should be receiving the supplement. Its estimated average weekly value is 67p.
§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons are actually receiving housing benefit supplement; what is the average amount of housing benefit supplement payment; and how many standard housing benefit claimants there are.
§ Mr. RossiInformation on the numbers actually receiving housing benefit supplement and the average amount paid is not yet available. We estimate that there are approximately 3.6 million standard housing benefit claimants.
§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons previously receiving rent rebates, rent allowances and/or rate rebates prior to the introduction of the housing benefit scheme no longer qualify for benefit.
§ Mr. RossiWe estimate that approximately 400,000 people receiving assistance with their rent and/or rates prior to the introduction of the new scheme now no longer qualify because of the changes to the tapers above the needs allowance.