Restrictions may also be made under the local reference rent scheme. This scheme is designed to give tenants an interest in their housing costs and to deter private sector landlords from charging higher rents to those claiming Housing Benefit than they would be able to get from tenants who are not in receipt of Housing Benefit. It is important to note that there is no direct correlation between the average amounts of rent restriction shown in the tables and families' actual incomes which will vary with individual circumstances. For a family on Income Support their actual income may be higher than Income Support levels because of the various disregards on both earned and unearned income. In addition, local authorities have discretionary powers to make additional payments where they judge that the rent restriction would cause the family exceptional hardship.
Information refers to the number of benefit units.
The figures are rounded to the nearest thousand and the average amounts of restriction or deduction are rounded to the nearest 10 pence. Therefore, there is some overlap in the tables above. Housing Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. This inspection is part of a programme to inspect the 30 authorities with the highest Housing Benefit programme spend. The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate is working closely with the authority and expects to present the report to me for publication early in 2001.