§ Mr. Darlingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will indicate (a) the net cost to each local authority of housing benefit payment made to tenants in private sector housing 1986–87, (b) the amount paid by each authority in respect of individual rents which were in excess of 180 per cent. of the average registered rent in the respective DHSS area in 1986–87 and (c) the anticipated net cost to each authority of making such payments following the introduction of housing benefit subsidy arrangements set out in circular LHB(87)5.
§ Mr. PortilloI regret that the information sought in relation to the current housing benefit scheme is not held centrally. It is not possible to predict the net cost to individual local authorities of the proposed subsidy arrangements under the reformed scheme since that cost will be strongly influenced by such factors as the extent to which each authority succeeds in limiting benefit on unreasonably high private sector rents.
§ Dr. Godmanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the backlog of outstanding claims to social security benefits in the local offices of his Department in Greenock and Port Glasgow in August.
§ Mr. PortilloThe table shows the number of outstanding claims to social security benefits in Greenock and Port Glasgow in August.
Greenock Port Glasgow ILO ILO Sickness/Invalidity benefit 33 35 Maternity allowance 4 6 Retirement pension 159 42 Severe disablement allowance 22 12 Supplementary benefit 35 55 TOTAL 253 150 Source: Social security management information statistics for four week period ending 25 August 1987.
§ Mr. Battleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will review the subsidy granted to Leeds city council for housing benefit 1988 preparation costs; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what are the criteria used by his Department to settle the allocations for local authorities in respect of the preparation costs involved in the 1988 housing benefit charges.
§ Mr. PortilloFollowing discussions with the local authority associations, it was decided that the £25 million176W grant which is being made available to local authorities to support their costs in preparing for the reformed housing benefit scheme should be allocated to authorities on the basis of a formula which took account of their recent administration costs and caseloads. The formula was adjusted so that the relationship between authorities' estimates and their allocations would be broadly comparable for each size of authority. The share of £231,289 due to be paid to Leeds city council has been calculated on this basis. We have no plans to review the amount of the grant payable to the council.
§ Mr. Wareingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people in the United Kingdom are currently in receipt of housing benefit; what plans he has to ensure that all entitled to such benefit will receive it; what assistance he is willing to give to the take-up campaigns organised by voluntary organisations and local authorities; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PortilloFigures are readily available only on a Great Britain basis. Our latest estimate is that in autumn 1986, some 7.2 million households were in receipt of housing benefit. Responsibility for administering housing benefit rests with local authorities, who have a statutory duty to publicise the scheme. It would be for the authority concerned to decide how to respond to a locally organised take-up campaign.
At a national level, housing benefit is one of the benefits which will feature in the new series of leaflets being redesigned as part of our communications strategy. It will also feature in the advertising campaign we are planning to explain the social security reforms.
§ Dr. Godmanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the total number of claimants in (a) Greenock and Port Glasgow, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole who have been refused benefit following a restart interview.
§ Mr. LeeI have been asked to reply.
Any refusal of benefit subsequent to a restart interview follows not from the interview itself but from the decision of an independent adjudication officer operating under longstanding legal rules adopted by successive Governments.
§ Mr. Wareingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy to uprate child benefit in line with inflation at the forthcoming up-rating.
§ Mr. Ron Brownasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has received a letter from the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Leith dated 27 April regarding the withdrawal of the estate heating allowance for a number of constituents; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PortilloI regret that I have no record of having received this letter.
§ Dr. Godmanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the total amount of supplementary benefit paid to claimants in (a) Greenock and Port Glasgow, (b) Strathclyde region and (c) Scotland in the financial year 1979–80 to 1985–86.
§ Mr. PortilloI regret that information is not available in respect of Greenock and Port Glasgow or Strathclyde region. Information in respect of Scotland is as follows: 177W
Financial year Amount £ million 1979–80 218 1980–81 286 1981–82 464 1982–83 599 1983–84 570 1984–85 639 1985–86 743
§ Dr. Godmanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total amount paid to social security claimants in (a) Scotland, (b) Strathclyde region and (c) Greenock and Port Glasgow for additional requirements in the years 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986.
§ Mr. PortilloI regret that information to answer part(a) of the question is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. No information is available to answer parts (b) and (c)