§ Mr. DewarTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his oral statement of 30 November,Official Report, columns 1205–8, what savings he expects over three years in respect of housing benefit; and what multiplier he used in calculating it.
§ Mr. Roger EvansThe savings to housing benefit from the restriction on benefit for rents above the average, the increase in non-dependent deductions and the restriction on HB claimants temporarily absent from home are estimated to amount to around £360 million, rounded to the nearest £10 million, over the three financial years from April 1995.
There is no one multiplier used to calculate the savings over three years. Estimation of the build up of savings is specific to each of the policies considered, and depends on a number of factors including estimates of forecast caseload and average rents.
§ Mr. BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for social Security if he will list the major changes in housing benefit since it was introduced identifying:(a) the numbers of gainers and losers and (b) the costs and savings of each measure.
§ Mr. Roger Evans[holding answer 5 December 1994:] The information requested is in the table.
to landlords when offering the opportunity of receiving housing benefit direct, that they may become liable for any overpayment which may occur.