§ Mr. Lofthouseasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, based on the current average levels of rents and rates in Great Britain, what are the current income levels at which housing benefit would cease to be payable for (a) single pensioners, (b) pensioner couples, (c) one-child family with one earner and (d) two-child family with one earner; and what are the current average earnings in each case.
§ Mr. LyellThe information requested is shown in the table.
Gross income level at which housing benefit no longer payable at November 1986 £ Average Earnings (1984) £ Single Pensioner 77.45 — Pensioner Couple 100.2 — Couple with one child and with one earner 134.66 177 Couple with two children and with one earner 151.85 201 Notes:
1. The following average rent and rate figures have been used
Rent £ Rates £ Household without children 14.60 6.05 Household with one child 16.25 6.75 Household with two children 17.50 7.25 2. The minimum payment rule of 50p is taken into account.
3. Pensioners are assumed not to be in employment.
4. Average earnings are gross earnings and include employed and self-employed people. They relate to 1984, the latest date for which figures are available broken down by family group and are derived from the Family Expenditure Survey.
§ Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will estimate the number of pensioners in Scotland who will lose housing benefit as a result of changes announced in October, indicating how many will be (a) up to £1 a week worse off, (b) between £2–3 per week worse off and (c) more than £4 per week worse off;
(2) if he will estimate the average loss to pensioners in Scotland as a result of the changes announced in housing benefit in October;
(3) if he will estimate how many pensioners in Scotland will lose housing benefit completely as a result of the changes announced in October;
(4) if he will estimate how many pensioners in Scotland will lose as a result of changes announced in October (a) some housing benefit and (b) all housing benefit; and of these how many of them in each case are (i) local authority tenants and (ii) private tenants.
§ Mr. LyellI regret that breakdowns of the estimates of the effects of increases in the housing benefit needs allowances, and the proposed increases in the housing benefit rent taper above the needs allowance, are not available separately for Scottish households.