§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what the capital is judged to be of those residents in sheltered accommodation who have no other capital for the purposes of housing benefit other than their homes which they have leased to housing authorities in exchange for sheltered accommodation;
(2) what is the position of leasehold dwellings where the lease has been granted in exchange for sheltered accommodation for the purposes of calculating housing benefit, where the individual has no other capital asset.
§ Mr. Peter LloydSince these properties remain at the disposal of the claimant at all times, they must be regarded as a capital asset, capable of being assigned a market value for the purposes of determining housing benefit. Where this value is below the capital cut-off of £8,000, the housing benefit entitlement will be assessed in the normal way, the actual rental income received being disregarded.