Housing Benefit

HC Deb 05 July 1988 vol 136 cc508-9W

Mr. Soley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the average housing benefit payment for rent rebates, rent allowances and rate rebates, and the number of recipients in each case, for the years 1979 to 1987; and what is the current estimate for 1988.

Mr. Portillo

[holding answer 10 June 1988]: The information requested is in the table. Prior to 1982–83 assistance with housing costs was through the supplementary benefit scheme administered by the Department and the rebate and allowance scheme run by the Department of the Environment. Housing benefit from the Department was introduced for some supplementary benefit claimants in November 1982 with full implementation for all claimants following from April 1983. The data for the years before 1982–83 are based upon the rebate and allowance scheme only. The data for 1982–83 combine information from both the old and new schemes.

others and for (i) pensioners (ii) families with children and (iii) others, in respect of rent rebates, rent allowances and rate rebates; and what is the current estimate for 1988–89.

Mr.Portillo

[holding answer 10 June 1988]: Numbers of housing benefit recipients by tenure type and household type for 1987–88 and 1988–89 are given in the tables.

Table 2—Household type
000s
	Rent rebates	Rent allowances	Rate rebates
	1987–88	1988	1987–88	1988–89	1987–88	1988–89
Pensioners	2,086	1,980	633	530	4,044	3,465
Families with children	1,030	990	214	200	1,703	1,500
Others	645	465	403	320	1,283	875
Total	3,761	3,435	1,250	1,050	7,030	5,840

Notes

1. Figures rounded to nearest 5,000.

2. Pensioners with children are listed once only, under "Pensioners".

3. Figures for both years are derived from a computer simulation model. Those for 1987–88 are consistent with the 1988 public expenditure White Paper; whilst those for 1988–89 have been remodelled and allow for the effects of the Budget and the capital rule changes announced on 27 April. They do not allow for the extra numbers who will receive a transitional payment.

4. Our estimate for the total number of claimants receiving some form of housing benefit in 1988–89 is 6,150,000.