§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many tenants in housing association sheltered 177W housing property, who are not receiving housing benefit, will be affected by the withdrawal of social work grant subsidy for the costs of the warden;
(2) if he will estimate by how much the rent of the average housing association sheltered housing tenant, who is not eligible for housing benefit, will go up per week when they start paying for the cost of the warden service after the withdrawal of grant subsidy.
§ Mr. AncramThree Scottish local authorities have announced their intention to cease financial support for the payment of wardens' costs in sheltered housing schemes operated by registered housing associations. So far as I am aware, no other authorities intend to follow this course.
Some 250 tenants, or 5 per cent. of all tenants in schemes which are or could be affected, are estimated to be receiving no assistance through the housing benefit scheme at present and would therefore be exposed to the full effect of any increase in service charge in respect of wardens' costs. Approximately another 2,250 tenants are receiving housing benefit only in respect of a proportion of their costs.
The precise effect of the withdrawal of support on any such persons would depend on size of the scheme, the level of warden service provided and the proportion of costs currently being met by grant from the local authorities concerned. I estimate that the increased service charge which the housing associations might have to levy would most probably lie within the range of £2 to £6 per week, depending on the combination of these factors.