§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are now receiving housing benefit in the area covered by the Wirral council; and how this compares with the numbers separately receiving rent allowances, rent rebates, rate rebates and full payment of rent by the Supplementary Benefits Commission before the inception of the housing benefit scheme.
§ Dr. BoysonBased on information provided by Wirral council, the number of housing benefit recipients at August 1983 was as follows:
Rent rebate Rent allowance Rent rebate Certificated 12,035 5,000 18,882 Standard 7,241 3,750 24,056 We estimated that before housing benefit was introduced there were about 23,800 claimants in the area covered by the Wirral council receiving help with rent and/ or rates through supplementary benefits; and that under the 141W old rebates and allowances scheme there were about 5,500 rent rebates and about 3,000 rent allowances in payment at April 1982 and about 25,000 rate rebates awarded during 1982–83.