HC Deb 28 April 1994 vol 242 c280W
Mr. Pike

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what plans there are to create uniform housing benefit forms for all local authorities, how much money such a move would save; and if he will make a statement;

(2) what estimates he has as to how many different housing benefit forms are produced by local authorities; and what is the cost to each local authority of having to create their own forms.

Mr. Hague

When upon entitlement to income support a claim is made to housing benefit, a standard Benefits Agency claim form is used. There are no plans to create further uniform housing benefit claim forms and the Department has no estimate of the number of such forms used by local authorities. Information about the cost of local authority forms is not available.

Mr. Pike

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the latest figures for people claiming housing benefit who are(a) receiving unemployment benefit, (b) receiving income support and (c) in a low income bracket; what estimates there are of how many more people may be entitled to these benefits but are not claiming them; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Hague

In May 1992, the total number of housing benefit recipients1 who also satisfied the specified criteria were:

Number
(a) Unemployment Benefit2 141,000
(b) Income Support2 2,590,000
(c) in a low income bracket3 1,629,000

Sources:

1 The May 1992 annual 1 per cent Housing Benefit Management Information System and Income Support enquiries.

2 The publication "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-up in 1990 and 1991" a copy of which is in the Library.

Notes:

1. The number of recipients has been rounded to the nearest thousand and is for benefit units. A benefit unit may be a single person or a couple.

2. Approximately 41,000 cases receive both unemployment benefit and income support.

3. Low income bracket has been defined as all recipients who are not in receipt of either income support or unemployment benefit.

4. Estimates for take-up of unemployment benefit or for housing benefit by income type are not available.

Estimates for the take up of income related benefits can be found in "Income Related benefits—Estimates of Take-up in 1990 and 1991" published on 25 March 1994. These figures show that income support is being claimed by between 77 and 90 per cent. of those eligible to claim.