§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will amend the proposed housing benefit changes to take into consideration the shortage of housing stock and reduced bargaining power of claimants in certain areas. [29599]
Mr. EvansNo. Where the tenant is unable to find alternative accommodation or negotiate a lower rent, the local authority will be able to use its discretion to pay above the restricted rent, or encourage the claimant to look for properties in adjoining localities. Furthermore, pre-tenancy determinations will help tenants to get a better indication of the likely rent that housing benefit will meet before they commit themselves to a tenancy.
§ Mr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to make a decision to amend the housing benefit changes in respect of its effect on sheltered and supported housing. [29600]
Mr. EvansMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has recently received the report of the Social Security Advisory Committee following its public consultation on the proposed changes to housing benefit. We will consider carefully the position of sheltered and supported housing as part of our response to the report.
§ Mr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if local authorities will be given the funding under the new housing benefit procedures to enable local authorities to use their discretion to respond368W to local needs to the same extent as currently occur under the regulation 11 payments. [29601]
Mr. EvansThe Government consider the level of funding for the new arrangements to be realistic. It will allow local authorities scope to help individual cases of exceptional hardship they consider to be most urgent. For claims made under the new arrangements, it is not expected that local authorities should continue to protect all those cases which would currently satisfy the criteria in regulations to have their rent met in full.
§ Mr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of administration costs resulting from the proposed housing benefit changes being implemented. [29602]