§ Mr. HaywardTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the cost of raising the savings limit for social security benefits from £8,000 to £16,000; and what would be the figure for application of such a limit solely to the community charge.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardThe current capital limits are £6,000 for income support and family credit, and £8,000 741W for housing benefit and community charge benefit. The estimates for raising these limits are in the table (assuming that the present rules for imputing a weekly income to capital of more than £3,000 are maintained).
£ Current capital limits increased to: 16,000 Full year cost at current rate (£ million) IS, FC, HB and CCB 180 CCB 20 Notes:
Costs rounded to the nearest £5 million.
Assumes community charges in line with SSA based DOE estimates.
§ Mr. SpellerTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will raise the limit on personal savings below which reductions in community charge are allowed from £3,000 and £8,000 to £6,000 and £16,000, respectively; and if he will adjust the scale of relief accordingly.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardThe upper capital limit, above which there is no entitlement to community charge benefit, is to be raised to £16,000 from 1 April when the benefit scheme comes into operation. The first £3,000 of capital will continue to be ignored and the rules which assume some income from capital above that level will also continue.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how much community charge benefit will be received by (i) a single person with capital of £3,000 and at
Amount of benefit entitlement for a married or cohabiting couple aged up to 59 (a) Housing Benefit, assuming that the whole rent shown is eligible for benefit Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Capital £25.00 £30.00 £35.00 £40.00 £45.00 £50.00 £55.00 £60.00 £65.00 £70.00 £75.00 £80.00 £85.00 £90.00 £95.00 £100.00 £3,000.00 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — £16,000.00 25.00 30.00 35.00 40.00 45.00 50.00 55.00 60.00 65.00 70.00 75.00 80.00 85.00 90.00 95.00 100.00
(b) Community Charge Benefit Community Charge per person £ £ £ £ £ £ £ annual 250.00 300.00 350.00 400.00 450.00 500.00 £ weekly 4.79 5.75 6.71 7.67 8.63 9.59 Capital £3,000.00 — — — — — — £16,000.00 7.66 9.20 10.74 12.20 13.80 15.34
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Amount of benefit entitlement for a single person aged 25 to 59 (a) Housing Benefit, assuming that the whole rent shown is eligible for benefit Capital Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent not over £25.00 £30.00 £35.00 £40.00 £45.00 £50.00 £55.00 £60.00 £65.00 £70.00 £75.00 £80.00 £85.00 £90.00 £95.00 £100.00 £12,000.00 25.00 30.00 35.00 40.00 45.00 50.00 55.00 60.00 65.00 70.00 75.00 80.00 85.00 90.00 95.00 100.00 £12,250.00 24.81 29.81 34.81 39.81 44.81 49.81 54.81 59.81 64.81 69.81 74.81 79.81 84.81 89.81 94.81 99.81 £12,500.00 24.16 29.16 34.16 39.16 44.16 49.16 54.16 59.16 64.16 69.16 74.16 79.16 84.16 89.16 94.16 99.16 £12,750.00 23.51 28.51 33.51 38.51 43.51 48.51 53.51 58.51 63.51 68.51 73.51 78.51 83.51 88.51 93.51 98.51 £13,000.00 22.86 27.86 32.86 37.86 42.86 47.86 52.86 57.86 62.86 67.86 72.86 77.86 82.86 87.86 92.86 97.86 £13,250.00 22.21 27.21 32.21 37.21 42.21 47.21 52.21 57.21 62.21 67.21 72.21 77.21 82.21 87.21 92.21 97.21 £13,500.00 21.56 26.56 31.56 36.56 41.56 46.56 51.56 56.56 61.56 66.56 71.56 76.56 81.56 86.56 91.56 96.56 £13,750.00 20.91 25.91 30.91 35.91 40.91 45.91 50.91 55.91 60.91 65.91 70.91 75.91 80.91 85.91 90.91 95.91 £14,000.00 20.26 25.26 30.26 35.26 40.26 45.26 50.26 55.26 60.26 65.26 70.26 75.26 80.26 85.26 90.26 95.26 £14,250.00 19.61 24.61 29.61 34.61 39.61 44.61 49.61 54.61 59.61 64.61 69.61 74.61 79.61 84.61 89.61 94.61 £14,500.00 18.96 23.96 28.96 33.96 38.96 43.96 48.96 53.96 58.96 63.96 68.96 73.96 78.96 83.96 88.96 93.96 £14,750.00 18.31 23.31 28.31 33.31 38.31 43.31 48.31 53.31 58.31 63.31 68.31 73.31 78.31 83.31 88.31 93.31 £15,000.00 17.66 22.66 27.66 32.66 37.66 42.66 47.66 52.66 57.66 62.66 67.66 72.66 77.66 82.66 87.66 92.66 £15,250.00 17.01 22.01 27.01 32.01 37.01 42.01 47.01 52.01 57.01 62.01 67.01 72.01 77.01 82.01 87.01 92.01 £15,500.00 16.36 21.36 26.36 31.36 36.36 41.36 46.36 51.36 56.36 61.36 66.36 71.36 76.36 81.36 86.36 91.36 £15,750.00 15.71 20.71 25.71 30.71 35.71 40.71 45.71 50.71 55.71 60.71 65.71 70.71 75.71 80.71 85.71 90.71 £16,000.00 15.06 20.06 25.06 30.06 35.06 40.06 45.06 50.06 55.06 60.06 65.06 70.06 75.06 80.06 85.06 90.06 each £250 band to £16,000 and (ii) a married person with capital of £3,000 and at each £250 band to £8,000, assuming their partner holds the same level of capital, paying a community charge of (a) £250 per annum, (b) £300 per annum, (c) £350 per annum, (d) £400 per annum, (e) £450 per annum and (f) £500 per annum, giving, in each case, the amount of benefit attributable to raising the capital limit for singles and couples to £16,000;
(2) how much housing benefit will be received by (a) a single person and (b) a married/cohabiting couple with capital of £3,000 and £16,000 and for each £250 between, paying rent of £25 per week and £100 per week and for each £5 between; and if he will indicate, in each case, how much of the benefit is attributable to raising the capital limit for singles and couples to £16,000.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardThe questions assume that the claimant has no resources other than capital. The calculations of entitlement to housing benefit and community charge benefit, therefore, take account only of assumed tariff income on the capital. For the couple, the result is that entitlement remains at the maximum, whatever the level of capital. For the single person, entitlement remains at the maximum until capital exceeds £12,000, at which point the tariff income exceeds the applicable amount and the respective tapers apply in the normal way.
Wherever capital exceeds £8,000, benefit entitlement is attributable to the rise in the capital limit.
The tables show the amount of entitlement to benefit.
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(b) Community Charge Benefit Community Charge per person £ £ £ £ £ £ £ annually 250.00 300.00 350.00 400.00 450.00 500.00 £ weekly 4.79 5.75 6.71 7.67 8.63 9.59 Capital not over £12,000.00 3.83 4.60 5.37 6.14 6.90 7.67 £12,250.00 3.79 4.56 5.32 6.09 6.86 7.63 £12,500.00 3.64 4.41 5.17 5.94 6.71 7.48 £12,750.00 3.49 4.26 5.02 5.79 6.56 7.33 £13,000.00 3.34 4.11 4.87 5.64 6.41 7.18 £13,250.00 3.19 3.96 4.72 5.49 6.26 7.03 £13,500.00 3.04 3.81 4.57 5.34 6.11 6.88 £13,750.00 2.89 3.66 4.42 5.19 5.96 6.73 £14,000.00 2.74 3.51 4.27 5.04 5.81 6.58 £14,250.00 2.59 3.36 4.12 4.89 5.66 6.43 £14,500.00 2.44 3.21 3.97 4.74 5.51 6.28 £14,750.00 2.29 3.06 3.82 4.59 5.36 6.13 £15,000.00 2.14 2.91 3.67 4.44 5.21 5.98 £15,250.00 1.99 2.76 3.52 4.29 5.06 5.83 £15,500.00 1.84 2.61 3.37 4.14 4.91 5.68 £15,750.00 1.69 2.46 3.22 3.99 4.76 5.53 £16,000.00 1.54 2.31 3.07 3.84 4.61 5.38