HC Deb 17 March 1999 vol 327 cc693-4W
Ms Buck

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households with children were subject to housing benefit restrictions in 1997–98. [75929]

Angela Eagle

As at 31 May 1997, some 300,000 Housing Benefit recipients with children were subject to Housing Benefit restrictions, principally because of income or non-dependant deductions.

Notes:

  1. 1. Information refers to benefits units, which may be a single person or a couple.
  2. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.
  3. 3. Figures do not include restriction because of Rent Officers determinations or restrictions to the eligible rent due to the Local Reference rent scheme.

Source: Housing Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. sample inquiries with and without Income Support/JSA(IB), taken at the end of May 1997.

Ms Buck

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many households on income support were subject to rent restrictions affecting their housing benefit entitlement in 1997–98; and what was the average value of the restriction; [75933]

(2) how many people have been affected by single room rent restrictions since October 1996; and what have been the estimated savings; [75931]

(3) what was the total estimated saving arising from rent restrictions on housing benefit in 1997–98; and what was the total for each London borough; [75930]

(4) how many households have been subject to rent restrictions (a) in total and (b) in each London borough since 1997. [75932]

Angela Eagle

We do not centrally collect information of individuals' contractual rent because it will commonly include items not eligible for Housing Benefit. As a result the information requested is not available in the requested format.

The measures which limit the rent for Housing Benefit purposes are; certain service charges included in the contractual rent which are not generally eligible for Housing Benefit, for example, charges for cleaning, laundry, fuel, meals and personal care and nursing; the range of determinations, including determinations of single room rents, made by rent officers in respect of most claims from tenants living in the private rented sector; and where local authorities consider that the rent is unreasonably high or the accommodation overlarge or the eligible rent is none the less too high in respect of a particular case.