§ Mr. ForthTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will give for the review of regulations restricting the eligibility of single claimants other than young people to accommodation costs(a) the expected completion date and (b) the cost of conducting the review. [8255]
§ Mr. Keith BradleyThe decision to revoke the regulations, which would have restricted housing benefit for single claimants aged 25 to 59, was announced on 18 June by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.
The draft regulations to bring about the change were referred, in accordance with the statutory requirement to do so, on 11 July to the social security advisory committee and the local authority associations for their consideration. Subject to their views, the regulations will be made and laid as soon as possible.
The review was conducted as part of the Government's overall review of the package of measures we inherited from the previous Administration. It was an internal review, carried out as part of the Government's day-to-day business. I am therefore unable to give a cost which relates specifically to this issue.