To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment has been made of the likely effect of restricting the back-dating of (a) housing benefit and (b) pension credit on (i) homelessness, (ii) eviction levels and (iii) pensioner poverty. (190306)

Before any changes to pension credit, housing and council tax benefit are presented to Parliament we will complete a full equality impact assessment as we required to do by law in respect of disability, race and gender. This assessment will consider the likely impact on various client groups.

The results will be published and should be available in spring 2008. We will carefully consider the outcome of the assessment and determine what further action, if any, might be appropriate.