HC Deb 06 May 1988 vol 132 cc654-5W
Mr. Leighton

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if the weekly premium over benefit of those participating on the new adult training programme will affect their claim to housing benefit.

Mr. Portillo

No. An amendment to the housing benefit regulations will be laid before Parliament shortly, which would provide for the premium to be disregarded in the calculation of housing benefit entitlement.

Ms. Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if people with capital between £6,000 and £8,000 who fail to qualify for housing benefit because of the assumed tariff income, but who nevertheless have lost more than £2.50 per week, qualify for a transitional payment under his Departments new arrangements.

Mr. Scott

Yes.

Mr. Robin Cook

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what he estimates the administrative costs will be of his announcement of 27 April of changes to the housing benefit regulations(a) in total, (b) expressed as a proportion of the additional money to be made available to claimants and (c) as an average weekly sum per head of the beneficiaries of the changes.

Mr. Scott

The administrative costs of implementing the changes cannot be precisely assessed until more information is available about the scale of the inquiries and claims which need to be handled, and until detailed procedures for handling claims have been agreed.

Mr. Ingram

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what proposals his Department has to set up a new unit to administer the transitional protection scheme on housing benefit; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Scott

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Fylde (Mr. Jack) on 5 May 1988 at columns550–51.