asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to raise the capital cut-off of £6,000 provided for in section 22(6) of the new housing benefit reform Act as it affects owner-occupiers currently in receipt of rebate; and if he will make a statement.

Section 22(6) of the Social Security Act contains a general power to prescribe a capital cut-off. The actual figure will be in regulations to he laid before Parliament. The White Paper "Reform of Social Security" (Cmnd. 9691) proposed for illustrative purposes that in all income-related benefits capital up to £3,000 should be ignored but a cut-off should be applied at £6,000. This is considerably higher than the £3,000 cut-off currently applied in supplementary benefit.