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Housing Benefit

24. Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement about the effectiveness of his Department's attempts to combat fraud in housing benefit. [1721]

Mr. Heald: We fully support local authorities in their efforts to prevent and detect fraud and abuse of housing benefit. In 1995-96, authorities made fraud savings of £224 million and earned £28 million in extra subsidy for their work through the incentive scheme we have introduced. In March this year, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced a comprehensive strategy for tackling housing benefit fraud. We are seeking further powers to help authorities fight fraud in the benefit fraud Bill which we shall shortly lay before the House.

27. Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will report on the progress of the interdepartmental review of proposed changes to housing benefit for people living in supported accommodation. [1724]

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Mr. Roger Evans: The terms of reference for the Review of supported accommodation were announced on 22 October. We have discussed the role played by housing benefit in funding supported accommodation with housing providers, umbrella organisations, local authority associations and welfare rights groups throughout Great Britain. The anecdotal evidence is that housing benefit does meet charges for support which enables people to remain in the community. This is consistent with findings of qualitative research carried out by the centre for housing policy which ware published on 31 October. We have commissioned the centre for research in social policy at Loughborough university to carry out research attempting to quantify the extent of this expenditure whilst the interdepartmental review will continue to consider all aspects of the funding of supported accommodation and report upon where the sustainable balance should lie between social security and other funding sources in supported accommodation and, if necessary, clarify legislation.

Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to encourage further competition in the administration of housing and council tax benefits. [4111]

Mr. Evans: Some local authorities have expressed concern that existing legislation prevents contractors who undertake housing and council tax benefit administration from carrying out determinations of benefit entitlement. This causes unnecessary double handling of claims and reduces the efficiency of contracts which local authorities are able to negotiate. We therefore propose to allow contractors to perform such determinations. In particular, this will enable local authorities to run pilots to establish whether they would wish to see such work permanently contracted out.

This change, allied to the proposals which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has announced today for changes to the compulsory competitive tendering framework for local authority professional services and housing management, will create a climate in which local authorities are able to negotiate more efficient arrangements for the administration of these benefits.

We will open consultations shortly with the local authority associations with a view to bring forward an order under the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994.

Benefits Agency Medical Services

25. Mr. Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will make a statement on the contractorisation of the Benefits Agency medical services; [1722]

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(2) if companies invited to take over the work of the Benefits Agency medical services will be encouraged to take over the adjudication functions of the agency; [766]

(3) what proposals his Department has to contract out the adjudication function of the Benefits Agency medical services. [736]

Mr. Roger Evans: Many adjudicating medical practitioners are already fee-paid doctors working under contract. It is proposed to include the adjudication functions of the Benefits Agency medical services in the scope of work to be contracted out. This will be set out in the statement of service requirements to be issued shortly by the Benefits Agency. Including the medical adjudication function in the contract offers the greatest prospect of increased efficiency, while safeguarding the integrity and standards of decision making and protecting customers' rights. Decisions must continue to be taken as now in accordance with the facts and the law, with rights of appeal to an independent body.

We see no reason in principle to rule out involvement of the private sector in decision making. But we will want to examine this very carefully on a case-by-case basis to ensure that standards of decision making are maintained or improved. We make no presumption about the future extent of private sector involvement.

Independent Living Fund

28. Mr. Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will require the independent living fund to make payments which take into account the employer's responsibilities in respect of recipients who employ their own care staff. [1725]

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he proposes to take to ensure that payments from the independent living fund cover employer's liabilities in the same way as direct payments from local authorities under the Community Care (Direct Payments) Act 1996 will do. [2427]

Mr. Andrew Mitchell: We have no plans to do so. The trustees of the independent living funds have discretion to make payments towards client's care costs, and they currently help over 15,000 severely disabled people at a cost of £115 million.

Means-tested Benefits

Mr. Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the number of people dependent on means-tested benefits, (a) at present and (b) in 1979. [1712]

Mr. Roger Evans: There were 8.45 million recipients of one or more income-related benefits in May 1995. A direct comparison with 1979 is not possible.

Cold Weather Payments

Mr. Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received since announcing the outcome of his review into the

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system of cold weather payments, with specific reference to the highlands and islands of Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [1716]

Mr. Roger Evans: Since the changes were announced on 14 October, we have received one representation relating to the highlands and islands of Scotland, from the hon. Member for Ross, Cromarty and Skye.

Benefits (Domestic Pets)

Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to include an element in social security payments for the upkeep of a domestic pet. [1718]

Mr. Roger Evans: No. Income support does not identify separate amounts for specific expenditure items. Claimants are free to manage their income according to their preferences.

Family Incomes

Mr. Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the income that an average family in rented accommodation needs to be better off than with nobody in employment receiving (a) the jobseeker's allowance and (b) income support. [2816]

Mr. Roger Evans: People in work on low incomes will usually be entitled to housing and council tax benefits to help ensure work is worthwhile.

A wide range of factors can affect a family's income in and out of work and it is difficult to illustrate the effect of these by using a single typical family as an example. A range of examples is provided in the published tax benefit model tables, April 1996, a copy of which is available in the Library. The April 1996 tables do not cover jobseeker's allowance, but the position will be the same for this purpose as for families receiving income support.

Benefit Statistics

Mr. Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many households received (a) means-tested benefits, (b) income support, (c) family credit, (d) housing benefit and (e) council tax benefit in (i) 1992 and (ii) 1996, in respect of (1) each region in Great Britain and (2) Great Britain as a whole; and what proportion of the total number of households this represented in each case; [3327]

(2) how many households received (i) any means-tested benefit, (ii) income support, (iii) family credit,(iv) housing benefit and (v) council tax benefit in (a) 1992 and (b) 1996 in each standard region of Great Britain and in Great Britain as a whole; and what proportion of the total number of households this represented in each case. [3100]

Mr. Andrew Mitchell: The information is not available in the format requested. A breakdown of family credit date by Government standard statistical region could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Such information as is available is in the tables:

Table 1: Numbers on means-tested benefits--May 1992

					Thousands
	One or more means-tested benefit	Income support	Family credit	Housing benefit	Community charge benefit
Great Britain	8,410	5,088	397	4,325	6,564
England	7,040	4,282	325	3,569	5,561
Scotland	930	519	47	539	657
Wales	440	287	25	217	346
Standard GSS region
North	n/a	318	n/a	304	458
North West	n/a	693	n/a	547	890
Yorkshire and Humberside	n/a	463	n/a	411	667
East Midlands	n/a	321	n/a	266	457
West Midlands	n/a	493	n/a	400	681
East Anglia	n/a	143	n/a	127	209
South East (ex London)	n/a	706	n/a	574	957
London (Inner and Outer)	n/a	792	n/a	659	764
South West	n/a	353	n/a	282	479
DSS administrative regions
Northern	n/a	n/a	72	n/a	n/a
North Western	n/a	n/a	65	n/a	n/a
Midlands	n/a	n/a	74	n/a	n/a
East Anglia and South East	n/a	n/a	83	n/a	n/a
South West	n/a	n/a	32	n/a	n/a

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Table 2: Proportion of households on means-tested benefits--May 1992

					Per cent.
	One or more means- tested benefit	Income support	Family credit	Housing benefit	Community charge benefit
Great Britain	29	18	1	15	23
England	28	17	1	14	22
Scotland	36	20	2	21	25
Wales	32	21	2	16	25

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Table 3: Numbers on means-tested benefits--May 1995

					Thousands
	One or more means-tested benefit	Income support	Family credit	Housing benefit	Council tax benefit
Great Britain	8,440	5,670	608	4,734	5,624
England	7,090	4,790	504	3,953	4,756
Scotland	890	555	68	543	581
Wales	460	325	36	238	288
Standard GSS region
North	n/a	354	n/a	322	393
North West	n/a	757	n/a	597	766
Yorkshire and Humberside	n/a	513	n/a	438	545
East Midlands	n/a	357	n/a	287	375
West Midlands	n/a	548	n/a	425	558
East Anglia	n/a	163	n/a	140	178
South East (Ex London)	n/a	781	n/a	650	803
London (Inner and Outer)	n/a	936	n/a	774	741
South West	n/a	380	n/a	320	397
DSS administrative regions
Northern	n/a	n/a	110	n/a	n/a
North Western	n/a	n/a	97	n/a	n/a
Midlands	n/a	n/a	113	n/a	n/a
East Anglia and South East	n/a	n/a	136	n/a	n/a
South West	n/a	n/a	47	n/a	n/a

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Table 4: Proportion of households on means-tested benefits--May 1995

					Per cent.
	One or more means-tested benefit	Income support	Family credit	Housing benefit	Council tax benefit
Great Britain	29	19	2	16	19
England	28	19	2	16	19
Scotland	35	22	3	21	23
Wales	31	22	2	16	19

Notes:

1. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest thousand, except figures for one or more means-tested benefit which are rounded to the nearest ten thousand. Due to rounding totals may not tally.

2. Sample sizes: income support/family credit 5 per cent. Housing benefit/council tax benefit 1 per cent.

3. Means-tested benefits are defined as income support, family credit, housing benefit, and community charge benefit/council tax benefit.

4. Household information is not available since benefits are paid to a benefit unit. A benefit unit may be a single person or a couple. There may be more than one benefit unit within a household.

5. Overlaps between benefits have been taken into account in producing the number of benefit units receiving one or more means-tested benefit. There will be a considerable overlap between individual benefit numbers, as a person may receive one or more means-tested benefit.

6. Council tax benefit replaced community charge benefit from April 1993.

7. English regions used for income support, housing benefit, community charge benefit and council tax benefit are Government standard statistical regions. For family credit these are DSS administrative regions.

8. Housing benefit/community charge/council tax benefit figures include estimates due to the data collection procedure in Scotland.

9. n/a = not applicable.

Sources:

1. Income support statistics quarterly enquiry May 1995.

2. Income support statistics annual enquiry 1992.

3. Family credit 5 per cent. sample of awards.

4. Housing benefit management information system annual 1 per cent. sample enquiries, with and without income support taken at the end of May of each year given.

5. Office of national statistics, family resources survey, family expenditure survey.

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