§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the total number of claims made for board and lodging assistance from his Department in the past three months, from Princes lodge, 747 Commercial Road, London E14; what has been the total amount of such assistance paid over that period in respect of that address; and what has been the average amount paid out per claimant per week.
§ Dr. Boyson[pursuant to his reply, 2 April 1984, c. 408]: 86 supplementary benefit claims were received from residents at Princes lodge during the 12 weeks up to the end of March. At the end of that period benefit was in payment in respect of 203 claims, of which 134 were claims from single people and couples, and 69 from families with children.
Details of the total and average amounts of benefit in payment over that period are not available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I can however explain the basis on which the benefit entitlement of residents at Princes lodge is calculated. The residents are treated as boarders, and their entitlement is based on the amount needed to meet the accommodation charge and the cost of meals not provided, subject to the local limit (£63 for a single person in Poplar) which reflects the reasonable charge for full board in the area. To this is added an allowance for personal expenses.
The charge for bed and breakfast for a single person at Princes lodge was £24.60 until 16 January when it was increased to £42.70. After allowances for meals and personal expenses have been added, a single unemployed person with no other resources would have received £53.75 per week during the former period and £71.85 for the latter.
Payment for couples and families is made on the same basis, but the local limit for a family is calculated by aggregating the limit for a single person in respect of each member over the age of 11, and £13.75 (one and a half times the child's scale rate) for each child under 11.