§ Mr. SandersTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what financial support is available to local authorities which experience a significant rise in housing benefit administrative costs as a consequence of large scale redundancies. [17868]
§ Malcolm WicksThe amount of subsidy paid to each authority is calculated annually using a formula agreed in consultation with the local authority associations. The formula takes account of the caseload and complexity of housing benefit cases, with elements for accommodation and staffing costs. Once annual allocations have been set, they cannot be altered in-year. However, any changes in caseload would be reflected in the following year's allocation.
§ Chris RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which 20 local authorities took the longest to pay housing benefit in the UK in the last three years; and what was the average lengths of time it took these local authorities to pay. [16102]
§ Malcolm Wicks[holding answer 19 November 2001]: The information is not available.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many local authority housing benefit managers he has met since he took responsibility for housing benefit; [12944]
(2) how many visits he has made to local authority housing benefit offices since he took responsibility for housing benefit. [12945]
§ Malcolm Wicks[holding answer 14 November 2001]: Information is not available in the format requested. However, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and other Ministers meet periodically with housing benefit 188W managers at conferences and on visits to individual local authorities. Such recent occasions have included question and answer sessions at conferences hosted by the Chartered Institute of Housing (June 2001) and the Institute of Ratings Revenue and Valuation (February and October 2001). Visits have also been made to the London Boroughs of Camden, Hackney and Croydon housing benefit departments. Further visits are being planned.