§ Mr. Andrew BowdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the number of pensioner households which will lose entitlement to housing benefit as a result of the increase in the rent taper to 65 per cent.
§ Mr. PortilloThe estimated number of pensioner households losing all entitlement to rent allowances or rent rebates as a result of increasing the rent taper from 60 to 65 per cent. is 25,000. Some of these will retain entitlement to rate rebates. People receiving income support will be unaffected because by definition they continue to receive maximum help with rent.
Notes:
1. The source is the 1985 family expenditure survey, updated to 1988–89.
2. Further information on data sources can be found in the introduction to the revised technical annex, "Impact of the Reformed Structure of Income-Related Benefits", which is in the Library. This does not identify housing benefit separately.