Poverty & Inequalities Profile - Falkirk 2010 - Falkirk Council

Housing Benefit & Council Tax Benefit
Poverty & Inequalities Profile
Falkirk 2009
Housing Benefit is available to tenants liable to pay rent who have a low level of income and savings. This is
available to people living in Local Authority housing or housing association housing. Local Housing Allowance was
introduced in 2008 and is available to people living in Private Rented accommodation that have low income and
savings. These tables show those receiving Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit who are also on low income
benefits.
Council Tax Benefit is offered to those liable to pay Council Tax but have low income and savings level. This benefit
is available to those who rent and owner occupiers. In 2008/09 57.1% of Council tenants received Housing Benefit,
whilst 56.2% of Registered Social Landlord (RSL) tenants and 36.2% of those living in private rented accommodation
received Housing Benefit.
Table 17: Tenure Type of Housing Benefit Claimants
Year Local Authority Registered Social Landlord Private Landlord Total
2003/04 7,276 80.8% 1,024 11.4% 700 7.8% 9,001
2004/05 7,432 81.0% 1,104 12.0% 635 6.9% 9,172
2005/06 7,217 80.9% 1,068 12.0% 625 7.0% 8,911
2006/07 7,059 80.5% 1,092 12.5% 617 7.0% 8,769
2007/08 6,838 79.9% 1,224 14.3% 492 5.8% 8,555
2008/09 6,752 79.1% 1,218 14.3% 563 6.6% 8,534
2009/10 6,980 76.4% 1,297 14.2% 859 9.4% 9,137
The table above shows that the majority of Housing Benefit claimants live in Council housing. It also shows that the
number of those living in Local Authority housing claiming Housing Benefit has decreased from 2003/04 to 2009/10
whilst the number of people living in RSL accommodation has gradually increased during the same period.
The number of people living in Private Landlord accommodation was decreasing from 2003/04 to 2007/08, however,
in 2008/09 and 2009/10 there has been significant increases; this may be due to the limited stock of Local Authority
and RSL housing and higher availability of Private Landlord accommodation.
Table 18: Benefit
Housing Benefit & Council Tax
Year Benefit Housing Benefit Only Council Tax Benefit Only Total
2003/04 8,513 82.0% 487 4.7% 1,382 13.3% 10,382
2004/05 8,661 80.1% 510 4.7% 1,636 15.1% 10,807
2005/06 8,367 78.5% 543 5.1% 1,749 16.4% 10,659
2006/07 8,246 77.7% 522 4.9% 1,843 17.4% 10,611
2007/08 8,009 76.7% 545 5.2% 1,886 18.1% 10,440
2008/09 8,019 76.9% 514 4.9% 1,891 18.1% 10,424
2009/10 8,579 77.0% 557 5.0% 2,012 18.0% 11,148
2010/11 8,698 77.3% 548 4.9% 2,006 17.8% 11,252
Table 18 shows that the majority of claimants received both Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. The increase in
the number of Council Tax Benefit only is a reflection of the increase in rates of owner occupation.