§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much housing benefit was paid by each London borough in the last year for which figures are available. [5414]
§ Malcolm WicksThe information is in the table.
Housing Benefit expenditure 1999–2000 £000 London boroughs Rent rebate Rent allowance Total City of London 3,353 1.240 4.593 Camden 58,640 55.442 114.082 Greenwich 50,054 32.496 82,550 Hackney 51,513 66.789 118.302 Hammersmith 29,238 44.382 73.620 Islington 68,740 36.998 105,738 Kensington & Chelsea 22,848 44.825 67,673 Lambeth 66,983 62.234 129,217 Lewisham 50,851 43.388 94,239 Southwark 75,175 44.539 119.714 Tower Hamlets 66,332 41.616 107,948 Wandsworth 44,638 48.995 93.633 Westminster 46,495 69.363 115,858 Barking 33,662 14.264 47,926 Barnet 26,904 50.226 77.130 Bexley 253 37,754 38,007 Brent 34,995 89.033 124,028 Bromley 1,862 53.340 55,202 Croydon 37,070 55.946 93,016 Ealing 35,247 59.650 94.897 Enfield 38,209 38.340 76,549 Haringey 56,348 78.083 134,431 Harrow 15,747 30.435 46,182 Havering 16,682 12.873 29,555 Hillingdon 29,711 26,845 56,556 Hounslow 27,296 25,291 52,587 Kingston-upon-Thames 14,000 11,165 25,165 Merton 13,172 22.986 36,158 Newham 40,278 81.877 122,155 Redbridge 16,744 40.944 57,688 Richmond-upon-Thames 18,249 16.296 34,545 Sutton 15,403 14.680 30,083 Waltham Forest 27,863 47.050 74,913 Total London 1,134,555 1,399.385 2,533,940 Note:
The data are the latest available and may be subject to change at a later date. All figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.
Source:
Rent allowance and non-housing revenue account rent rebate information is from returns submitted to DWP by local authorities. Housing revenue account rent rebate information is from returns submitted to DTLR by local authorities.
§ Jeremy CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimates he has made of performance of ITNet in the delivery of Housing Benefit to claimants in Islington; and if he will make a statement. [5361]
§ Malcolm WicksThe Benefit Fraud Inspectorate's report on the London borough of Islington's administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit was published in December last year. The report revealed problems with the quality of Islington's benefit service as provided by its contractor ITNet.
We have received the council's response to the report, which includes a comprehensive action plan to achieve improvements in the service provided to people in 697W Islington. We are considering the council's response and what future action is appropriate to monitor the authority's performance.
§ Annabelle EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the proposed amendment to the Housing Benefit Regulations will be brought into force. [5816]
§ Malcolm WicksThe amendment to regulation 7(1)(h) of the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987, which allows benefit to be paid to people who let property they previously owned if five years or more have elapsed since the original sale, came into force on 21 May 2001.
§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to review the arrangements whereby Housing Benefit is not available to an adult who is paying rent to a blood relative living in the same property. [5561]
§ Malcolm WicksWe have no plans to review existing arrangements.