§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if his Department will issue guidance to local authorities discouraging them from reassessing pensioners' housing benefit entitlement in October 2003 until payments of pension credit have come on stream. [1219691
§ Malcolm WicksThe Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (State Pension Credit) Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/325), which will complement the introduction of state pension credit, come into force on 6 October 2003.
At that date, local authorities will reassess existing housing benefit and council tax benefit claims to reflect the increased applicable amounts payable to all pensioners aged 65 and over and the more generous rules on the treatment of assumed income from capital. Where pension credit must be taken into account as an income in the housing benefit or council tax benefit assessment, no case can be reassessed until the pension credit is in payment and the Pension Service has notified the local authority of the award.