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19 Nov 2003 : Column 1068W—continued
Housing Benefit
Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what assessment he has made of the effects of the Local Housing Allowance Pathfinder scheme in Blackpool; [139583]
- (2) if he will make a statement on the Housing Benefit Pathfinder schemes; [139584]
(3) what estimate he has made of the number of housing benefit recipients who will be affected by the introduction of the Local Housing Allowance Pathfinder scheme in Blackpool; [139585]
(4) what guidance his Department has given to local authorities on consultation with local landlords during the operation of the Housing Benefit Pathfinder schemes. [139586]
Mr. Pond: The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) was launched in Blackpool on 17 November. Blackpool is the first of nine local authority Pathfinders that will operate the Local Housing Allowance over the next two years; the remaining eight authorities will go live between December and February.
For de-regulated private rented sector tenants in Pathfinder areas, benefit will no longer depend on individual rents but will be based on a standard amount for the area and size of household. This will allow tenants to trade between the quality and price of their accommodation.
The LHA will also provide a more transparent, efficient and fairer system. Most tenants will take responsibility for receiving their benefit and paying an appropriate amount of it as rent to their landlord. No claimant will be worse off when the LHA is introduced, and we estimate that in Blackpool around one in three Housing Benefit claimants in the de-regulated private rented sector will benefit financially.
Pathfinder authorities have been encouraged to work closely with landlords and they have all held meetings with local landlords to explain how the LHA will work and the safeguards that have been put in place; however, we have not issued any specific guidance on consultation.
There will be a comprehensive evaluation of LHA Pathfinders, which will include interviews with claimants, landlords, local authority staff and stakeholder organisations, as well as an analysis of administrative data. This is already under way.
Local Reference Rents
Sir Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what instructions he has issued to the Chief Rent Officer in London on the localities used in the determination of housing benefit local reference rents since the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) (Amendment) Order 2001. [139107]
Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
The post of "Chief Rent Officer" no longer exists, and both localities and local reference rents are a matter for the Rent Service, which is an Executive Agency of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. No instructions have been issued to the Rent Service on localities used in the determination of local reference rents since the laying of the 2001 Order.
Sir Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many localities were being used in the determination of housing benefit local reference rents in London in November (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003. [139108]
Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
There is no record of the numbers of localities used in the determination of local reference rents in these years. Localities are decided by the Rent Officer using definitions in the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) Order. Localities are influenced by residential property markets, which are fluid. Therefore, any statistical publication will only ever be able to provide a 'snap shot' at any given time.
The Rent Service intends to begin publishing information about local reference rents for England in the late spring of 2004.
Sir Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent reports he has received on housing benefit shortfalls experienced by claimants arising from local reference rent restrictions in London. [139111]
Mr. Pond: The principle of rent restrictions in Housing Benefit is now well established. It ensures that claimants are able to afford reasonably priced rental
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accommodation in the locality that they choose to live in, whilst ensuring that the cost to the taxpayer is kept at a reasonable level.
We have not received recently any formal reports on this matter.
Sir Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many localities are currently being used by the Rent Service in England to determine local reference rents. [139112]
Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
There is no on-going record of the numbers of local reference rent localities in England. Localities are influenced by residential properties markets that are fluid. Any statistical publication will only ever be able to give a 'snap shot' at any given time.
However, the Rent Service intends to publish information about local reference rents for England in the late spring of 2004.
Sir Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 15 May 2003, Official Report, column 373W, to the hon. Member for Waveney (Mr. Blizzard), when the Rent Service will begin to publish information about local reference rents for different parts of the country. [139113]
Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
The Rent Service intends to publish information about local reference rents for England in the late spring of 2004.
Occupational Pension Schemes
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimates his Department has made of (a) the number of occupational pension schemes which have failed to meet their full obligations to employees since May 1997 and (b) the number of employees and pensioners who have been affected. [137580]
Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is not available.
Pension Credit
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on uptake of the pension credit in Wirral South. [139722]
Malcolm Wicks: As at 17 October, 2003 the number of people receiving Pension Credit in the Wirral, South constituency was 2,110. 1.97 million households in Great Britain (around 2.3 million individuals) are already receiving Pension Credit with 1.2 million households, (around 1.4 million individuals) receiving more money than they did before. The average award is £47.10 per week.
- Source:
- IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent sample
- Notes:
- 1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest five.
- 2. Figures are based on 100 per cent Generalised Matching Service (CMS) data.
- 3. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
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Pension Funds
Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to protect the assets in the pension funds of former nationalised industries. [138373]
Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. member to the written answer I gave him on 17 November 2003, Official Report, Vol. 413, column 48W.
Pensions
Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) representations and (b) discussions he has had in the last 12 months on encouraging (i) employers and (ii) employees to contribute to stakeholder pensions; and if he will make a statement. [139442]
Malcolm Wicks: Ministers have received correspondence from, or had meetings with, a variety of interests including hon. Members, employer, employee and pension industry representatives about encouraging employers and employees to contribute to stakeholder pensions.
The Employer Task Force, set up as a result of the Government's Green Paper on Pensions has recently discussed this important issue. The Task Force will be considering it further as part of its ongoing work to increase and extend occupational and private pension provision.
Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) representations and (b) discussions he has had in the last 12 months on the take-up of occupational pensions by part-time workers; and if he will make a statement. [139443]
Malcolm Wicks: The issue of lower occupational pension coverage by part-time compared to full-time workers was brought up for discussion during the Green Paper Consultation events by various different employers, women's lobby groups and other organisations with an interest in the Women and Pensions Agenda.
The Government is seeking to address this inequality through the Informed Choice Programme. One example is the employer-based pilots we propose to introduce in spring next year. These pilots are aimed at those employers who do not contribute at least 3 per cent to a private pension for their employees and will require the employer to offer information or advice within the workplace to help employees make their own private pension arrangements.
Making sure that all employees, including part-time workers, fully appreciate the value of employer contributions if these are offered, will also be an integral part of the Informed Choice programme.
Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what assessment he has made of the effect on low income households of delaying commencement of paying state retirement pension until the beginning of the week following the birthday that brings entitlement to that pension; [139485]
- (2) to commence entitlement to state pension from the actual date of the (a) 65th birthday for men and (b) 60th birthday, for women. [139486]
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Malcolm Wicks: There are no plans to change the date from which entitlement to State Pension commences.
The rule that entitlement begins on the payday on or following the day on which a man reaches his 65th birthday, or a woman her 60th birthday, derives from the
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fact that State Pension is paid in advance. In practice any effect upon low income households is beneficial as the following chart shows. In the case of bereavement benefits, which are also paid in advance, there is no change upon reaching pension age, since the same payday is maintained.
| Date | Payment in Advance | Payment in Arrears |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 4 December 2003 | Man becomes 65 years/woman becomes 60 years. | |
| Monday 8 December 2003 | Entitled to standard rate State Pension. Receives £77.45 full week's payment for the coming week | Would receive £44.28 (4/7ths of £77.45) for the period 4.12.03 to 7.12.03 |
Notes:
In respect of the period up to Wednesday 3 December 2003 the individual from a low income household would typically receive one or more of the following, paid around this time:
final earnings, monthly or weekly in arrears, with holiday pay, week in hand etc.
incapacity benefit/jobseeker's allowance—paid fortnightly in arrears
income support—paid weekly or at another period, in arrears
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