§ Mr. ViggersTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the speed with which housing benefit is paid to lodgers; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BurtFull statutory responsibility for the administration of the housing benefit scheme rests with local authorities. Regulations prescribe that all claims should be processed within 14 days of receipt of the necessary information, or as soon as possible thereafter. Many authorities achieve this target in full. Nationally, in 1991–92, 70 per cent. of claims from private tenants were processed within 14 days. Where, through no fault of the applicant, a claim cannot be settled within 14 days, interim payments should be made. Guidance issued to local authorities by the Department reflects these provisions.
§ Mr. ViggersTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will give his best estimate of the amount of housing benefit paid to lodgers which is not then paid to their landlords;
(2) what review he is undertaking of the arrangement whereby a lodger who has given authority for his housing benefit to be paid to his landlord may revoke that authority without the landlord being informed.
§ Mr. BurtThe Department does not collect information about the levels of debts owed to landlords. Representations received from landlords and their organisations indicate that the number of housing benefit recipients who persistently default on rent payments is relatively small.
Regulations already give local authorities wide-ranging powers to pay housing benefit direct to landlords where 456W they consider that tenants may otherwise default. Benefit must normally be paid direct automatically without any requirement to seek the tenant's consent where there are arrears equal to eight times the weekly rent or more and may be paid direct earlier where an authority considers it would be in the tenant's best interests to do so.
Where a person who has requested direct payment subsequently withdraws his consent, the local authority should consider the individual circumstances of the case. The authority may continue to make direct payments if it considers it is in the tenant's interests, for example to prevent rent arrears accruing. If it is decided to stop direct payments the local authority is required to notify the landlord of the date from which payments will cease. We have no current plans to conduct a review of these arrangements.