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Benefit Savings Thresholds
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out the weekly benefit savings thresholds allocated to each local authority in (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000 and (c) 2000-01. [141007]
Angela Eagle: The information has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the local authorities that were allocated weekly benefit savings thresholds below £60,000 in (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000 and (c) 2000-01. [141009]
Angela Eagle: The information is in the table.
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Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will (a) list the local authorities that failed to meet at least 75 per cent. of their weekly benefit savings thresholds and (b) detail the penalties incurred by each of those local authorities in (i) 1998-99 and (ii) 1999-2000. [141008]
Angela Eagle: The information is in the table.
(31) Figures for 1999/2000 are unaudited and are subject to change.
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Housing Benefit
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for housing benefit have not been processed within 14 days since 1 April. [140962]
Angela Eagle: The information is not yet available.
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many amendments have been made to Housing Benefit regulations since 1 January. [140961]
Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to my written answer to the hon. Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts) on 6 November 2000, Official Report, column 95W.
Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for (a) England and (b) London for each of the years 1990 to 2000 the number of private rented tenants claiming Housing Benefit for the years 1990-91 to 2000-01 inclusive, (i) the average eligible rent, (ii) the average amount of Housing Benefit paid per tenant and (iii) the total of Housing Benefit paid to private tenants. [140996]
Angela Eagle: The available information is in the tables.
Notes:
1. The data refer to households, which may be a single person, couple or a family.
2. The caseload figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
3. The average cash amounts have been rounded to the nearest ten pence.
4. The Private Tenant figures include cases that are classified as Registered Social Landlords/Housing Association.
5. Figures from the Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count for any non-responding authorities will have been estimated. Private Tenant figures exclude any Extended Payment.
Source:
1. Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. sample, taken in May 1990 and May 1991.
2. Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in each quarter from May 1992 to February 2000.
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| £ million | ||
|---|---|---|
| England | London | |
| 1990-91 | 1,565 | -- |
| 1991-92 | 2,167 | -- |
| 1992-93 | 2,934 | -- |
| 1993-94 | 3,809 | -- |
| 1994-95 | 4,432 | -- |
| 1995-96 | 4,946 | 1,495 |
| 1996-97 | 5,272 | 1,557 |
| 1997-98 | 5,125 | 1,460 |
| 1998-99 | 5,095 | 1,410 |
Notes:
1. The rent allowance expenditure information includes the expenditure in respect of registered Social Landlords/Housing Association tenants.
2. Information for London is not available before 1995-96.
Source:
Housing Benefit Subsidy claim forms from local authorities and Housing Revenue Account data from the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions.
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will further amend the Housing Benefit (General) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 1998, part 3(h), to take account of individuals whose financial circumstances have changed between selling the property they continue to reside in and making a claim for Housing Benefit; [140437]
- (2) for what reason the amendment of Regulation 7 of the Housing Benefit Regulations excluded from benefit people who had previously owned their home. [140438]
Angela Eagle: The intention of the provision was to halt the abuse where an owner-occupier transfers ownership of his or her home without money changing hands, or for less than the market price, and rents it back. Housing Benefit is still available to anyone who can prove that he or she was forced to transfer or sell because of, for example, mortgage arrears.
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We are also aware of some cases where people sold their properties on a commercial basis some time ago and are now renting them. There is no evidence to suggest that such transactions took place to enable the seller to take advantage of the Housing Benefit scheme. We are proposing, therefore, to introduce regulations shortly which will enable an ex-owner to claim Housing Benefit provided five years have elapsed since he or she ceased to own the property.
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what impact the transfer of local authority housing stock into other control has had on expenditure on Housing Benefit to date. [141193]
Angela Eagle: The information is not available. This is because the data local authorities provide on Housing Benefit spending do not enable us to distinguish between spending on tenants who live in stock that has been transferred and those who live in other stock.
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent meetings he has had with interested parties on the subject of Housing Benefit; and if he will make a statement. [141104]
Angela Eagle: In recent months I have, on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security, met with local councillors, local authority representatives and Members of the House who have an interest in Housing Benefit.
We are always keen to listen to the views of people with an interest in Housing Benefit. To this end, we are currently studying the consultation responses to the Housing Green Paper and we will take decisions on how to proceed in the light of them. We will announce our intentions shortly.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 20 November 2000, Official Report, column 67W, to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) on Housing Benefit, if he will provide the same information concerning the proportion of Housing Benefit claims that are cleared within 14 days of receipt for each other local authority. [141083]
Angela Eagle: The available information has been placed in the Library.
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