To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the child benefit disregard in respect of housing benefit and council tax benefit introduced on 2 November 2009 is (a) awarded without claim or (b) claimed for; and if she will estimate the number of residents of Newcastle upon Tyne to whom this disregard applies. (313279)

Approximately 200,000 current customers benefited from the full introduction of the disregard of child benefit in the assessment of housing benefit and council tax benefit when the local authorities reviewed their entitlement in November 2009. We estimate that a further 200,000 working families would be entitled to housing benefit and council benefit if they made a claim following the change in November 2009.

We are unable to provide an estimate of the number of residents in Newcastle upon Tyne to whom this disregard applies.