HC Deb 07 November 2002 vol 392 c674W
Mrs. Brooke

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it is possible for somebody to become financially worse off as a consequence of moving from a position of receiving income support and housing benefit and council tax benefit to a position of receiving incapacity benefit with the right to put a claim in for housing benefit and council tax benefit. [77085]

Malcolm Wicks

Where a person is not in receipt of Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, entitlement to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit is assessed by comparing a person's net income with an amount which is broadly similar to what they would receive on either Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance. For each pound that their income exceeds that level, the amount of benefit payable is reduced by fixed tapers of 65 pence for Housing Benefit and 20 pence for Council Tax Benefit. As a consequence people will generally see an improvement in their overall financial position.