§ Mr. Marlowasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much money was claimed in the last full year for person's resident overseas in respect of (a) unemployment pay, (b) child benefit and (c) supplementary benefit.
§ Mrs. ChalkerI regret that information is not available in the form requested.
A person who is abroad can receive unemployment benefit only in the circumstances described in my right hon. Friend's 47W reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Paddington (Mr. Wheeler) on 29 November, and my reply to him on 6 December 1979.—[Vol. 974, c. 743–4; Vol. 975, c. 308.] The amount paid in 1978 was £133,266.
Child benefit can be paid to certain people who are outside Great Britain and who remain liable to United Kingdom income tax, such as members of Her Majesty's Forces and civil servants, for whom the amount for 1978–79 was in the region of £11 million. It can also be paid, under the terms of EEC regulations or a reciprocal agreement, to some people who are receiving other benefits from the United Kingdom, and to people who are compulsorily insured under the United Kingdom social security scheme whose children have remained in another EEC country or in Spain. The amount paid in 1979 was about £1 million.
Supplementary benefit is not payable to people who are abroad.