HC Deb 18 May 1994 vol 243 cc521-2W
Mr. Gerrard

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the estimated costs in 1994–95 and 1995–96 of increasing disregarded earnings for housing benefit purposes for single people to £10 per week and for couples to £25 per week; and how many claimants would benefit from such a change.

Mr. Hague

The cost in 1994–95 is estimated to be £120 million and would benefit some 370,000 claimants. There is insufficient information to calculate figures for 1995–96.

Source:

The reply is based on the Family Expenditure Survey data from

basis as table 6 of the Social Security departmental report giving figures for (a) 1993–94, (b) 1994–95, (c) 1995–96 and (d) 1996–97.

Mr. Hague

The information is in the table.

1989, 1990 and 1991, uprated to 1994–95 prices and caseloads. Figures are rounded down to the nearest £10 million and 10,000 cases.

Mr. Gerrard

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the estimated costs in 1994–95 and 1995–96 of reducing the housing benefit taper to 50 per cent.; and how many claimants would benefit from such a change.

Mr. Hague

The estimated cost in 1994–95 is £730 million and it is estimated that 1,955,000 housing benefit recipients would benefit from such a change. Figures for 1995–96 are not available.

Source:

Estimate uses data drawn from the 1989-90–91 Family Expenditure Surveys and modelled at 1994–95 prices and benefit levels. Costs are rounded to the nearest £5 million and numbers of claimants rounded to the nearest 5,000.