§ Sir Ian GilmourTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the rent ceilings for each London borough above which no more housing benefit is payable.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThere are no such ceilings. Under the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 (S.I. 1987/1971) it is for local authorities to determine the level of rent eligible for housing benefit in each case. Authorities have powers to limit the rent eligible for benefit where they consider the rent is unreasonably high. Any decision by the authority to limit the eligible rent must be taken on an individual case basis, taking account of the personal circumstances of the claimant.
Under the arrangements for subsidising local authorities' housing benefit expenditure, a reduced rate of subsidy is payable where housing benefit is awarded on rents above the subsidy rent threshold for the area. The table shows the subsidy thresholds for the London boroughs.
93W
Authority Subsidy thresholds Barking 56.58 Barnet 77.32 Bexley 57.32 Brent 62.43 Bromley 71.67 Camden 88.09 City of London 85.97 Croydon 74.41 Ealing 70.55 Enfield 60.69 Greenwich 55.13 Hackney 59.55 Hammersmith 61.85 Haringey 63.91 Harrow 66.02 Havering 63.53 Hillingdon 66.71 Hounslow 69.75 Islington 64.15 Kensington and Chelsea 76.31
Authority Subsidy thresholds Kingston 71.15 Lambeth 62.89 Lewisham 54.41 Merton 72.77 Newham 54.88 Redbridge 55.54 Richmond 74.83 Southwark 56.41 Sutton 68.96 Tower Hamlets 58.83 Waltham Forest 48.73 Wandsworth 69.64 Westminster 114.89