HC Deb 19 November 1997 vol 301 cc222-5W
Ms Buck

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households have had housing benefit restrictions imposed on them in each of the last three years(a) in total and (b) in each London borough. [14815]

Mr. Keith Bradley

The information is in the tables.

Number of households with housing benefit restrictions
Financial year Number of households (GB)
1994–95 269,000
1995–96 321,000
1996–97 439,000

Number of households with housing benefit restrictions in each London borough
Local authority 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97
Barking and Dagenham 1,000 1,000 2,000
Barnet 1,000 2,000 3,000
Bexley 1 1,000 1,000
Brent 5,000 5,000 5,000
Bromley 1,000 1,000 1,000
City 0 1 1
Camden 2,000 2,000 2,000
Croydon 2,000 2,000 3,000
Ealing 3,000 4,000 4,000
Enfield 2,000 2,000 3,000
Greenwich 1,000 1,000 1,000

Number of households with housing benefit restrictions in each London borough
Local authority 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97
Hackney 4,000 4,000 4,000
Hammersmith and Fulham 1,000 2,000 1,000
Haringey 6,000 7,000 8,000
Harrow 1,000 1,000 2,000
Havering 1,000 1,000 1,000
Hillingdon 1 1,000 1,000
Hounslow 1,000 2,000 3,000
Islington 2,000 2,000 2,000
Kensington and Chelsea 1,000 1,000 2,000
Kingston upon Thames 1 1 1
Lambeth 3,000 3,000 2
Lewisham 3,000 4,000 4,000
Merton 1,000 2,000 2,000
Newham 6,000 7,000 9,000
Redbridge 3,000 3,000 5,000
Richmond on Thames 1 1 1
Southwark 1 1,000 2,000
Sutton 1 1 1,000
Tower Hamlets 1,000 1,000 2,000
Waltham Forest 3,000 3,000 5,000
Wandsworth 2,000 3,000 3,000
Westminster 5,000 5,000 4,000
Great Britain 269,000 321,000 439,000
1 There were less than 500 restrictions in the borough during the given year.
2 Figures for Lambeth are not yet available for 1996–97.

1. Figures have been estimated using Rent Officer Statistics, the Housing Benefit Management Information System quarterly 100 per cent. caseload enquiry and Rent Allowance expenditure information, collected on annual subsidy claim forms from Local Authorities.

2. Caseloads have been rounded to the nearest 1,000 households.

3. Housing benefit restrictions are taken to mean rent restrictions. Single room rent restrictions have not been included due to insufficient reliable data.

Ms Buck

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total estimated saving arising from restrictions on housing benefit(a) in total and (b) for each London borough in each of the last three financial years. [14814]

Mr. Keith Bradley

The information is in the tables.

Total estimated savings arising from housing benefit restrictions
Financial year Total estimated saving (GB) (£ million per annum)
1994–95 245
1995–96 275
1996–97 360

Total estimated savings from housing benefit restrictions by London borough
£ million
Local authority 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97
Barking and Dagenham 1.5 1.5 1.5
Barnet 2.0 1.0 3.0
Bexley 0.5 0.5 1.0
Brent 6.0 5.0 5.0
Bromley 0.5 1.0 1.0
City 0 1 1
Camden 2.0 2.0 3.0
Croydon 2.5 2.0 3.5
Ealing 3.5 4.0 4.5
Enfield 2.5 3.0 4.0
Greenwich 0.5 1.0 1.5

Total estimated savings from housing benefit restrictions by London borough
£ million
Local authority 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97
Hackney 7.0 7.5 6.5
Hammersmith and Fulham 2.0 2.5 1.5
Haringey 9.0 9.5 11.5
Harrow 1.0 1.5 2.0
Havering 0.5 0.5 1.0
Hillingdon 0.5 1.0 1.5
Hounslow 1.0 2.5 4.0
Islington 2.0 2.5 2.5
Kensington and Chelsea 2.0 2.5 3.5
Kingston upon Thames 1 0.5 0.5
Lambeth 3.0 4.0 2
Lewisham 3.0 5.0 4.5
Merton 1.5 1.5 1.5
Newham 8.0 8.5 11.5
Redbridge 3.0 3.5 5.0
Richmond on Thames 0.5 0.5 0.5
Southwark 0.5 1.5 1.5
Sutton 1 1 0.5
Tower Hamlets 1.5 1.5 2.0
Waltham Forest 5.0 4.0 5.0
Wandsworth 2.5 3.0 3.0
Westminster 14.5 13.0 9.0
Great Britain 243.5 277.0 358.5
1 There were less than 500 restrictions in the borough during the given year or less than £250,000 worth of savings.
2 Figures for Lambeth are not yet available for 1996–97.

1. Figures have been estimated using Rent Officer Statistics, the Housing Benefit Management Information System quarterly 100 per cent. caseload enquiry and Rent Allowance expenditure information, collected on annual subsidy claim forms from local authorities.

2. Estimated savings have been rounded to the nearest £5 million for Great Britain and to the nearest £500,000 for London boroughs.

3. Housing benefit restrictions have been taken to mean rent restrictions. Single room rent restrictions (from October 1996) have not been included as sufficient reliable data is not yet available.

Ms Buck

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households with(a) children aged under 18 years and (b) other vulnerable members were subject to housing benefit restrictions in each of the last three years. [14816]

Mr. Keith Bradley

The information requested was not collected prior to 1996–97. The estimated number of households with dependent children under age 18, who were subject to housing benefit restrictions in 1996–97, was 60,000. The number of households with other vulnerable members, who were subject to housing benefit restrictions for this period is estimated to be negligible.

Note: The figure does not take account of Local Authority discretionary payments.

Source: Rent Officer Statistics, the Housing Benefit Management Information System annual 1 per cent. sample enquiries and Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Summary Statistics 1997.

Ms Buck

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households in receipt of income support were subject to housing benefit restrictions in each of the last three years; and what was the average value of the restriction. [14818]

Mr. Keith Bradley

The information is in the table.

Financial year Number of households (GB) Average housing benefit restriction (£p.w.)
1994–95 207,000 17.00
1995–96 248,000 17.00
1996–97 328,000 16.00

1. Figures have been estimated using Rent Officer Statistics, the housing benefit Management Information System quarterly 100 per cent. caseload enquiry and Rent Allowance expenditure information, collected on annual subsidy claim forms from local authorities.

2. Caseloads have been rounded to the nearest 1,000 households.

3. Housing benefit restrictions have been taken to mean rent restrictions. Single room rent restrictions (from October 1996) have not been included as sufficient reliable data is not yet available.

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