HC Deb 02 June 1997 vol 295 cc112-4W
Mr. Goggins

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what estimate she has made of the number of claimants who will have their housing benefit reduced in(a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99 and (c) 1999–2000 in (i) Great Britain, (ii) Manchester and (iii) Trafford as a result of the decision to extend the single room rent restriction to single people aged between 25 and 59 years; [1634]

(2) what estimate she has made of the total savings which will accrue in (a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99 and (c) 1999–2000 from the decision to extend the single room rent restriction to single people aged between 25 and 59 years. [1640]

Mr. Keith Bradley

The extension of the single room rent to single people under age 60 was inherited from the previous administration, and it forms part of Departmental expenditure plans. We are reviewing those plans and will announce our decision shortly.

Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will estimate the shortfall between total housing benefit payments to each London borough and their payments and administrative costs in respect of the benefit. [1753]

Mr. Bradley

The information for 1995–96, the latest date for which figures are available, is in the tables.

Housing benefit 1995–96 Rent allowance cases and non-housing revenue account element of rent rebate
Expenditure Subsidy1 Expenditure less subsidy
Authority name
Barking 11,578,000 10,826,000 752,000
Barnet 50,542,000 46,344,000 4,198,000
Bexley 21,749,000 19,961,000 1,789,000
Brent 88,288,000 80,419,000 7,869,000
Bromley 50,271,000 46,991,000 3,280,000
Camden 67,352,000 61,873,000 5,479,000
City of London 1,184,000 1,079,000 105,000
Croydon 60,204,000 55,502,000 4,702,000
Ealing 63,188,000 58,636,000 4,551,000
Enfield 42,101,000 38,130,000 3,971,000
Greenwich 32,007,000 29,502,000 2,505,000
Hackney 86,584,000 75,530,000 11,054,000
Hammersmith 49,816,000 45,127,000 4,689,000
Haringey 104,452,000 94,188,000 10,264,000
Harrow 29,619,000 27,317,000 2,302,000
Havering 13,179,000 12,155,000 1,024,000
Hillingdon 26,533,000 24,384,000 2,150,000
Hounslow 35,226,000 31,751,000 3,475,000
Islington 48,025,000 39,601,000 8,424,000
Kensington and Chelsea 56,076,000 51,671,000 4,406,000
Kingston upon Thames 15,080,000 13,680,000 1,400,000

Housing benefit 1995–96 Rent allowance cases and non-housing revenue account element of rent rebate
Expenditure Subsidy1 Expenditure less subsidy
Lambeth n/a n/a n/a
Lewisham 49,584,000 45,236,000 4,348,000
Merton 24,107,000 22,273,000 1,834,000
Newham 94,696,000 84,594,000 10,102,000
Redbridge 41,568,000 38,839,000 2,729,000
Richmond upon Thames 18,169,000 16,973,000 1,196,000
Southwark 50,741,000 46,865,000 3,876,000
Sutton 16,076,000 14,863,000 1,213,000
Tower Hamlets 32,370,000 28,882,000 3,488,000
Waltham Forest 49,154,000 44,649,000 4,504,000
Wandsworth 61,457,000 56,403,000 5,054,000
Westminster 90,253,000 82,647,000 7,606,000

Source:

Local authority subsidy claims.

Note:

1Figures do not include the 5.5 per cent. of estimated Housing Benefit expenditure fed in through the Revenue Support Grant arrangements.

Housing benefit expenditure 1995–96 Housing revenue account element of rent rebate
Expenditure Subsidy1 Expenditure less subsidy
Authority name
Barking 28,119,000 4,583,000 23,536,000
Barnet 23,590,000 15,023,000 8,567,000
Bexley 13,271,000 5,082,000 8,189,000
Brent 32,625,000 32,452,000 173,000
Bromley 195,000 0 195,000
Camden 54,513,000 54,373,000 140,000
City of London 2,677,000 2,607,000 70,000
Croydon 37,441,000 24,827,000 12,614,000
Ealing 38,835,000 38,283,000 552,000
Enfield 28,933,000 21,337,000 7,596,000
Greenwich 50,529,000 50,377,000 152,000
Hackney 67,097,000 65,316,000 1,781,000
Hammersmith 29,104,000 28,199,000 905,000
Haringey 44,460,000 44,565,000 -105,000
Harrow 14,813,000 10,561,000 4,252,000
Havering 16,809,000 3,731,000 13,078,000
Hillingdon 27,815,000 19,907,000 7,908,000
Hounslow 23,253,000 23,059,000 194,000
Islington 65,755,000 65,194,000 561,000
Kensington and Chelsea 17,195,000 17,124,000 17,124,000
Kingston upon
Thames 11,536,000 6,956,000 4,580,000
Lambeth 61,501,000 60,553,000 948,000
Lewisham 50,513,000 50,160,000 353,000
Merton 15,880,000 8,706,000 7,174,000
Newham 39,317,000 38,268,000 1,049,000
Redbridge 16,568,000 10,735,000 5,833,000
Richmond upon Thames 11,843,000 5,927,000 5,916,000
Southwark 78,539,000 77,941,000 598,000
Sutton 14,646,000 5,519,000 9,127,000
Tower Hamlets 51,974,000 51,448,000 526,000
Waltham Forest 23,213,000 22,979,000 234,000
Wandsworth 44,766,000 41,053,000 3,713,000
Westminster 32,558,000 32,110,000 448,000

Source:

Local authority expenditure returns.

Note:

1Figures take account of surpluses within the Housing Revenue Account for each authority.

Administration subsidy
London Boroughs (a) 1995–96 estimated Housing Benefit administration subsidy £s including Revenue Support Grant (b) 1995–96 estimated Housing Benefit (claimed administration costs Shortfall between (a) and (b)
Barking and Dagenham 629,000 347,000 -282,000
Barnet 1,067,000 2,055,000 988,000
Bexley 606,000 1,016,000 410,000
Brent 1,982,000 3,682,000 1,700,000
Bromley 1,223,000 1,536,000 313,000
Camden 1,961,000 2,991,000 1,030,000
City of London 85,000 199,000 114,000
Croydon 1,293,000 1,963,000 670,000
Ealing 1,436,000 3,763,000 2,327,000
Enfield 865,000 1,711,000 846,000
Greenwich 1,315,000 3,594,000 2,279,000
Hackney 2,150,000 5,627,000 3,477,000
Hammersmith and Fulham 1,409,000 3,166,000 1,757,000
Haringey 2,154,000 6,369,000 4,215,000
Harrow 581,000 896,000 315,000
Havering 557,000 543,000 -14,000
Hillingdon 705,000 1,167,000 462,000
Hounslow 890,000 1,384,000 494,000
Islington 1,641,000 2,733,000 1,092,000
Kensington and Chelsea 1,299,000 2,850,000 1,551,000
Kingston upon Thames 377,000 610,000 233,000
Lambeth 2,481,000 2,616,000 135,000
Lewisham 2,060,000 4,985,000 2,925,000
Merton 646,000 764,000 118,000
Newham 1,914,000 3,426,000 1,512,000
Redbridge 745,000 1,048,000 303,000
Richmond upon Thames 511,000 983,000 472,000
Southwark 1,924,000 3,297,000 1,373,000
Sutton 491,000 793,000 302,000
Tower Hamlets 1,506,000 2,072,000 566,000
Waltham Forest 1,119,000 3,540,000 2,421,000
Wandsworth 1,830,000 2,388,000 558,000
Westminster 1,499,000 4,565,000 3,066,000

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