HC Deb 10 July 2002 vol 388 cc1009-10W
Mr. Lepper

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have been refused benefits under the habitual residence test rules in each of the last five years in the(a) Brighton, Pavilion, (b) Brighton, Kemptown and (c) Hove constituencies; and in how many of these cases the refusal has been reversed on appeal. [63494]

Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have been refused benefits under the habitual residence test rules in each of the last three years in the Portsmouth, South constituency; and if he will make a statement. [64723]

Malcolm Wicks

The purpose of the habitual residence test is to ensure that income-related benefits are paid to people with reasonably close ties to the UK and an intention to settle here. Introduced in 1994, its underlying principle is that UK taxpayers should not have to subsidise people with very tenuous links to the UK.

Data on claims subject to the habitual residence test are not available by parliamentary constituency. The table gives the available information by Jobcentre Plus district office.

Number of claims where the habitual residence test has not been satisfied
Financial year Brighton district office Hove district office Portsmouth district office
1998–99 245 24 62
1999–2000 161 21 42
2000–01 119 6 25
2001–02 144 1 22
2002–031 24 0 0
1Up to 31 May 2002

Notes:

1. Data before 1998–99 are not available.

2. Excludes housing benefit and council tax benefit claims administered by local authorities. Information on the number of these claims where the habitual residence test has not been satisfied is not collected centrally.

Source:

Management Information Statistics Program (MISP).

Appeals data are not available by parliamentary constituency.