(2) what estimate his Department has made of the average amount unclaimed by couples with children, where one or both parents were working, who were entitled, to but not claiming (a) council tax benefit and housing benefit/local housing allowance, (b) council tax benefit and income support, (c) income support and housing benefit/local housing allowance and (d) income support, housing benefit/local housing allowance and council tax benefit, in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
Estimates of the average unclaimed weekly amounts of means-tested benefits in Great Britain, covering income support, pension credit, housing benefit, council tax benefit and jobseeker's allowance (income based) are published in the report “Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 2006-07”. Copies of the report are available in the Library.
For working singles with children entitled to but not receiving housing benefit and council tax benefit the estimated average weekly unclaimed amount of those benefits in each of the past five years is given in the following table.
Mean unclaimed HB and CTB (£) 2002-03 1— 2003-04 45.50 2004-05 44.90 2005-06 51.10 2006-07 48.80 1 Insufficient sample size. Note: Figures are in nominal terms and rounded to the nearest ten pence.
For couples with children where one or both parents are working and who are entitled to but not receiving housing benefit and council tax benefit the estimated average weekly unclaimed amount in each of the past five years is given in the table.
Mean unclaimed HB and CTB (£) 2002-03 43.90 2003-04 51.00 2004-05 52.40 2005-06 60.90 2006-07 66.90 Notes: 1. Figures are in nominal terms and rounded to the nearest ten pence. 2. Sample sizes are too small to yield reliable results for the other groups requested.