HC Deb 04 December 1911 vol 32 cc1155-7

In respect of each week following the first week of unemployment, seven shillings, or such other rates as may be prescribed either generally or for any particular trade or any branch thereof:

Provided that, in the case of a workman under the age of eighteen, no unemployment benefit shall be paid while the workman is below the age of seventeen, and white the workman is of the age of seventeen or upwards but below the age of eighteen, unemployment benefit shall only be paid at half the rate at which it would be payable if the workman was above the age of eighteen.

No workman shall receive unemployment benefit for more than fifteen or such other number of weeks as may be prescribed either generally or for any particular trade or branch thereof within any period of twelve months, or in respect of any period less than one day.

No workman shall receive more unemployment benefit than in the proportion of one week's benefit for every five contributions paid by him under this Act:

Provided that for the purpose of the foregoing paragraph—

  1. (a) in the case of a workman who satisfies the Board of Trade that he has habitually worked at an insured trade before the passing of this Act, there shall be deemed to be added to the number of contributions which he has actualy paid five contributions for each period of three months or part of such period during which he has so worked before the passing of this Act, up to a maximum of twenty-five contributions; and
  2. (b) where contributions are paid under Part II. of this Act in respect of any workman at intervals greater than a week, that workman shall be entitled to treat each contribution as so many contributions as there are weeks in the intervening period.

Any time during which a workman is under Part II. of this Act disqualified for receiving unemployment benefit shall be excluded in the computation of periods of unemployment under this Schedule.

A period of unemployment shall not be deemed to commence till the workman has made application for unemployment benefit in such manner as may be prescribed.

The power conferred by this Schedule on the Board of Trade to prescribe rates and periods of unemployment benefit shall not be exercised so as to increase the rate of benefit above eight shillings per week or reduce it below six shillings per week, or to increase the period of unemployment benefit above fifteen weeks, or to alter the proportion, which the period of benefit bears to the number of contributions paid, except by rules confirmed by an order made in accordance with the provisions of Part II. of this Act relating to special orders.

Amendments made: After the word "of" ["of unemployment"], insert the words "any period of."

In paragraph (a), after the word "he" ["that he has"], insert the words "is over the age of twenty-one and."

Leave out the word "passing" ["passing of this Act"], and insert instead thereof the word "commencement." Consequential Amendment made.

In paragraph (b), after the word "where," insert the words "owing to the fact that the wages or other remuneration of a workman are paid at intervals greater than a week or any other like reason."

Leave out the word "contribution," and insert instead thereof the words "of such contributions."

Leave out the word "intervening."

At the end of the paragraph, insert the words "for which the contribution has been paid."—[Mr. Buxton.]