HC Deb 24 February 1997 vol 291 cc86-7W
Mr. Alan Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of(a) the annual cost and (b) the numbers gaining if the extended housing benefit scheme were to be introduced for people in receipt of (i) incapacity benefits and (ii) invalid care allowance within 26 weeks of starting a job. [15871]

Mr. Roger Evans

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows:

The cost of extending the scheme in a full year to people who received incapacity benefit within 26 weeks of starting a job is estimated to be in the region of £4 million with around 25,000 people affected1.

Information does not exist to provide a relief estimate for ex-invalid care allowance recipients.

Note:

1 This estimate applies only to individuals registering as unemployed after leaving incapacity benefit and is based on data from March 1995 to February 1996.

Mr. William Powell

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate of the number of(a) local authority and (b) housing association tenants (i) not in receipt and (ii) in receipt of housing benefit in each district of Northamptonshire. [15777]

Mr. Evans

The information is set out in the table.

Local authority tenancies
Local authority Total tenancies Non-housing benefit tenants Housing benefit tenants
Corby 7,240 3,250 3,980
Daventry 3,760 1,700 2,070
East Northants 4,120 1,730 2,390
Kettering 4,690 1,540 3,150
Northampton 15,040 5,050 9,990
South Northants 3,500 1,500 2,000
Wellingborough 5,650 2,470 3,180
Housing association tenancies
Local authority Total tenancies Non-housing benefit tenants Housing benefit tenants
Corby 500 140 350
Daventry 320 10 300
East Northants 620 160 460
Kettering 590 150 440
Northampton South 1,630 640 990
South Northants 210 40 160
Wellingborough 680 230 460

Note:

Totals may not sum due to rounding to the nearest 10.

Sources:

1. Local authority tenancies—Department of Environment annual housing investment programme (HIP1) returns as at 1 April 1996.

2. Housing association tenancies—Housing Corporation's annual HAR10/1 returns as at 31 March 1996.

3. Housing benefit management information system, 100 per cent. quarterly stock count enquiry for housing benefit-Council Tax Benefit recipients with and without income support, for each local authority in Northamptonshire taken at the end of May 1996.