§ Mr. George HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people would benefit and on average by how much from abolition of the 20 per cent. minimum rule for the payment of the community charge as it affects people in receipt of benefit in each Merseyside constituency and in the constituencies of Ellesmere Port and Neston; Chester; Warrington, South; Halton; and Lancashire, West.
§ Miss WiddecombeThe latest available information relates to August 1991, and at that time about 287,000 people were receiving community charge benefit on Merseyside as a whole, of which about 155,000 were in receipt of income support. Abolishing the 20 per cent. community charge contribution by awarding maximum452W rebates of 100 per cent. of liability would help all those currently receiving benefit. In addition, a number of people would become entitled to benefit for the first time. In the Merseyside area as a whole, the 20 per cent. contribution is currently estimated to be £1.13 a week and, assuming no reduction in the amounts currently included in income-related benefit levels to help towards the 20 per cent. contribution, all current benefit recipients would gain to this extent.
Information concerning the individual constituencies requested is not available.
Source: August 1991 Management Information System.