---

13 Mar 2007 : Column 266W—continued

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research he has commissioned into the operation of non-dependant deductions from housing benefit; and if he will make a statement. [118812]

Mr. Plaskitt: The Department last commissioned research into non-dependant deductions in the mid 1990s.

We have no plans to commission further research into the operation of non-dependant deductions from housing benefit, but we will keep them under review.

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the proportion of housing benefit that was (a) overpaid and (b) underpaid due to the incorrect application of non-dependant deductions in the latest period for which figures are available. [118814]

Mr. Plaskitt: The housing benefit review survey estimates that in 2005-06 the proportion of housing benefit expenditure overpaid due to incorrect or missing non-dependant deductions was 0.3 per cent. The equivalent figure for underpaid housing benefit expenditure was 0.1 per cent.

The underpayment estimate only covers recipients who were getting less than they were entitled to, and does not include those who were entitled to benefits but did not apply.

Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many tenants are claiming local housing allowance in each of the 18 pathfinder areas; and if he will make a statement. [125029]

Mr. Plaskitt: The information is in the following table:

13 Mar 2007 : Column 267W

13 Mar 2007 : Column 268W

Number of tenants claiming local housing allowance in Pathfinder areas, February 2006
Pathfinder	Local housing allowance caseload
Original Pathfinders
Blackpool	8,600
Brighton and Hove	8,900
Conwy	2,400
Coventry	4,900
Edinburgh	6,300
Leeds	6,800
Lewisham	4,600
North East Lincolnshire	4,700
Teignbridge	2,100
Second Wave Group
Argyll and Bute	1,100
East Riding of Yorkshire	4,600
Guildford	700
Norwich	1,200
Pembrokeshire	1,800
Salford	2,000
South Norfolk	800
St. Helens	2,000
Wandsworth	3,100
18 Pathfinders total	66,600
Notes: 1. These are the latest available validated data. 2. The reported figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. 3. The reported figures include transitionally protected cases. 4. The second wave group areas are not subject to evaluation but are assessing operational readiness. Source: DWP Pathfinder administrative data, February 2006.

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average housing benefit payment for a (a) single pensioner, (b) married pensioner, (c) single person under pensionable age, (d) married couple under pensionable age and (e) married couple with children was in (i) 1997 and (ii) at the latest available date. [127209]

Mr. Plaskitt: The available information is in the following table.

Average weekly amounts of housing benefit: (£ per week)
As at May each year:	Those aged 60 or over with no partner	Those aged 60 or over with a partner	Those aged under 60 with no partner	Those aged under 60 with a partner	Those with a partner and children
1997	36.94	34.44	47.81	46.21	47.66
2003	49.09	48.58	60.25	63.95	70.07
Notes: 1. The figures are based on a 1 per cent. sample and subject to a degree of sampling variation. 2. Housing benefit cases exclude extended payment cases. 3. Average amounts are shown to the nearest penny. 4. Pensioner figures refer to cases where the claimant and/or partner are aged 60 or over. 5. Figures for those under 60 refer to cases where both claimant and partner are under 60. Source: Housing benefit and council tax benefit management information system, annual 1 per cent. sample, taken in May 2003.

Income Support: Lone Parents

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents had claimed income support for (a) up to three months, (b) between three and six months, (c) between six and 12 months, (d) between one and two years, (e) between two years and three years and (f) more than three years in each quarter since 1992. [121436]

Mr. Jim Murphy: Information is not available prior to 1999. The available information is in the following table.

13 Mar 2007 : Column 269W

13 Mar 2007 : Column 270W

Income Support lone-parent claimants in Great Britain by duration of claim: each quarter August 1999 to May 2006
Date	Up to 3 months	3-6 months	6-12 months	1-2 years	2-3 years	3 years and over
August 1999	67,080	61,050	103,120	147,540	103,240	458,670
November 1999	60,060	60,960	99,530	148,040	105,850	451,460
February 2000	52,130	57,620	102,570	149,860	107,470	449,430
May 2000	56,700	49,670	100,730	152,420	106,950	448,300
August 2000	59,880	54,520	91,360	153,250	107,450	449,060
November 2000	55,910	54,630	88,610	148,180	108,070	445,690
February 2001	52,220	55,320	94,670	144,300	109,800	447,150
May 2001	52,640	49,330	94,940	141,660	111,290	445,680
August 2001	54,790	50,670	90,210	140,660	111,850	447,190
November 2001	47,920	49,440	84,830	138,160	108,590	444,770
February 2002	46,010	47,360	86,750	138,900	105,680	447,420
May 2002	51,650	43,810	83,620	135,720	103,930	447,210
August 2002	53,630	49,650	79,550	133,340	104,080	449,860
November 2002	48,980	49,050	80,190	125,940	101,910	445,210
February 2003	40,550	48,520	85,090	123,050	102,080	444,470
May 2003	56,920	39,890	85,280	124,760	100,780	445,680
August 2003	49,570	53,790	77,240	125,800	98,330	446,720
November 2003	44,250	44,760	81,190	125,130	93,940	442,460
February 2004	45,840	42,800	84,460	123,210	92,080	441,860
May 2004	44,320	44,270	76,370	126,180	92,450	439,660
August 2004	46,430	42,750	75,670	122,800	92,550	437,890
November 2004	44,260	42,340	72,990	116,080	91,650	429,190
February 2005	45,010	42,510	73,090	116,720	89,900	425,910
May 2005	45,230	42,990	73,580	111,730	90,910	424,870
August 2005	49,280	43,010	74,680	110,190	88,180	424,030
November 2005	47,010	45,240	73,360	109,350	84,090	419,520
February 2006	44,170	45,990	76,550	109,690	84,690	416,000
May 2006	44,210	42,470	79,750	110,220	81,560	416,660
August 2006	51,550	43,000	77,690	114,290	81,020	415,630
Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Figures do not include lone -parents whose primary entitlement to benefit is for other reasons, for example disability Source: 100 per cent DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS)

---