Habitual Residence Test

Dr. Harris
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many British citizens have been refused income support and related benefits due to failure of the habitual resident test (a) in the last year and (b) in each of the previous five years. [14008]

Mr. Keith Bradley
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table. --------------------------------------
|                                    |
--------------------------------------
|Income support                      |
--------------------------------------
|Jobseeker's allowance (income based)|||
--------------------------------------

Source:

Benefits Agency Management Information Statistics.

Notes:

1. The habitual residence test was introduced in income support on 1 August 1994. The test was carried forward to jobseeker's allowance (income based) on 7 October 1996.

2.Information regarding the numbers of UK Nationals failing the habitual residence test in respect of housing benefit and council tax benefit is not available.