[holding answer 23 October 2008]: Estimates of the number of people eligible for council tax benefit are not available below the level of Great Britain.
The latest available information on the number of council tax benefit recipients by region is in the table.
Number Great Britain 5,079,080 North East 296,640 North West 682,710 Yorkshire and the Humber 459,010 East Midlands 336,230 West Midlands 504,300 East 391,780 London 728,010 South East 503,910 South West 368,200 Wales 281,890 Scotland 526,400 Notes: 1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated. 4. Figures may not sum due to rounding 5. Council tax benefit totals exclude any second adult rebate cases. Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in August 2007.
[holding answer 27 October 2008]: The available information on council tax benefit expenditure is in the following tables:
£ million, nominal 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 England 3,382 3,508 3,658 Wales 172 180 188
£ million, 2008-09 prices 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 England 3,596 3,613 3,658 Wales 183 186 188 Notes: 1. There may be differences between figures quoted in these tables and those quoted in Department for Work and Pensions Accounts. 2. Expenditure for 2007-08 reflects the latest estimated outturn, and not the amounts voted by Parliament. 3. Real terms figures have been calculated using Gross Domestic Product deflators updated after the 2008 Budget Report on 12 March 2008. Source: Local authorities' subsidy returns and DWP forecasts.