HC Deb 23 March 1990 vol 169 cc788-9W
Mr. Hayward

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will ensure that those community charge payers who discover they are entitled to rebates after they have paid their bills would be entitled to a refund.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

Benefit is normally backdated only if the claimant can show good cause for failure to claim earlier. For community charge benefit purposes there are two exceptions. In England and Wales a claim for community charge benefit will be treated as though it had been made on 1 April as long as it is made not more than 56 days after 1 April 1990, or not more than 56 days after the date of issue of the first community charge demand notice if the notice is received after 1 April. This provision does not apply where the delay in issuing the demand notice arises because of a failure by the claimant to notify the community charge registration officer that he is liable for that charge.

In Great Britain, charge payers who become entitled as a result of the change in the capital limit announced in the Budget will be treated as having made their claim on 1 April 1990, if their claim is received by 27 May 1990.

Sir John Stanley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Maxton) on 15 March,Official Report, column 333, if he will publish in the Official Report the maximum net weekly incomes at which 50 per cent. of the maximum entitlement to community charge benefit will be paid for (a) a single person under 25, (b) a married couple with two children under 11, (c) a pensioner couple aged 60 to 74 and (d) a pensioner couple aged 75 to 79, assuming community charge levels per adult of (i) £250, (ii) £300, (iii) £328, (iv) £350, (v) £400 and (vi) £438.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

The information requested is shown in the table.

Annual community charge Single under 25 Couple two children under 11 Pensioner couple aged 60–74 Pensioner couple aged 75–79
250.00 45.19 125.22 101.12 104.77
300.00 47.74 130.33 106.23 109.88
328.00 49.17 133.20 109.10 112.75
350.00 50.30 135.45 111.35 115.00
400.00 52.86 140.56 116.46 120.11
438.00 54.80 144.45 120.35 124.00

Sir John Stanley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Maxton) on 15 March,Official Report, column 333, if he will publish in the Official Report the maximum net weekly incomes at which the maximum entitlement to community charge benefit will be paid for (a) a single person under 25, (b) a married couple with two children under 11, (c) a pensioner couple aged 60 to 74 and (d) a pensioner couple aged 75 to 79, assuming community charge levels per adult of (i) £250, (ii) £300, (iii) £328, (iv) £350, (v) £400 and (vi) £438.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

The maximum net weekly income at which maximum entitlement to community charge benefit is awarded does not vary for different community charge levels. The information requested is shown in the table.

£
Single person under 25 32.40
Couple with two children under 11 99.65
Pensioner couple aged 60–74 75.55
Pensioner couple aged 75–79 79.20

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