Eric Joyce

Labour Party | Falkirk

New housing benefit reforms will simplify process for Falkirk pensioners

Falkirk West MP, Eric Joyce today warmly welcomed new Government proposals to simplify Housing Benefit for all of Falkirk's pensioners.

From next year all pensioners in Falkirk will get Housing Benefit awarded for up to five years. That means they need to fill in their claim form only once every five years, unless there's been a major change in their circumstances, instead of every year as at present.

Speaking today, Eric Joyce MP said

‘This change makes a lot of sense. Filling in a Housing Benefit claim form every year can cause unnecessary anxiety for some pensioners and it just isn't necessary if their circumstances haven't changed.

I want to see pensioners in Falkirk West treated with consideration and respect. Many need help with their housing costs. They should get it without a fuss and without a constant need for form filling.

Cutting red tape should also make the system simpler to operate. Instead of processing unnecessary forms, housing officials can concentrate on making the system work better for all.

As a result of the proposed changes coming into force next April regarding pensioners savings and income threshold levels in Housing Benefit Claims, all of the pensioners here in Falkirk West will get more help, or help for the first time, through Housing Benefit. '

Notes to Editor

• At the moment, pensioners have to claim Housing Benefit at least every year. All 1¾ million pensioners claiming Housing Benefit in the UK have to fill in a new form and provide evidence of all their savings and other income each year, even if their circumstances haven't changed.
• From April next year, the rules for pensioners' housing benefit claims will be changed to bring them into line with the proposed new Pension Credit. Pensioners will no longer have to report every change as it happens. Awards will be made for up to five years, depending on the information that people provide at the start of their claim.
• Savings will be treated more generously in calculating entitlement to Housing Benefit. The lower capital limit will stay at £6,000 but, over that, £1 for every £500 of savings will be taken into account in the future instead of £1 for every £250 as at present.
• The Housing Benefit income threshold will be raised to the maximum amount of the Pension Credit savings reward (expected level of £113.80 for single pensioners in 2003). That means no pensioner will see his or her Housing Benefit clawed back as a result of getting additional income from the Pension Credit.

Eric Joyce MP

Serving the communities of Falkirk West