HC Deb 24 May 1965 vol 713 cc23-4
30. Mr. Lubbock

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if she will seek to amend the rules governing the award of unemployment benefit so that any person working part of a week, who has obtained a certificate from the local office of the Ministry of Labour that no full-time job is available for him or her, shall qualify for the award of benefit on the idle days.

Miss Herbison

No, Sir. Unemployment benefit is already payable in the type of case the hon. Member has in mind unless the part-time work is considered by the adjudicating authorities to have become the claimant's normal working week; in which case there would be no loss of employment for which compensation under an insurance scheme would be appropriate.

Mr. Lubbock

Does the right hon. Lady realise that I am referring precisely to this kind of case and that I have had detailed correspondence with her on this example? Does she appreciate that even in the South-East, where so many jobs are supposed to be available, elderly people have to take part-time work because they cannot get any other work, and take it on a permanent basis? Is it not very unfair that they should be denied unemployment benefit on the test that they cannot get full-time employment?

Miss Herbison

The Answer I have given applies in all details to the case which the hon. Member has brought to my notice. I have examined it very carefully, and it is evident that the work that this man is doing is the work he wants to do. The part-time work has become his normal type of work. It would be quite wrong to bring into an insurance scheme compensation to raise earnings and not compensation for loss of work.

Mr. Lubbock

Will the right hon. Lady take it from me that she is completely mistaken on this matter and that this person would be quite ready to take full-time employment if it were available, but he cannot obtain it locally?

Miss Herbison

From my examination of the matter there would be little chance of altering the rules to suit such a case. The hon. Member will be aware that unemployment benefit does not go on for ever. The longest period in which anyone, if he has a very good record of contributions, can be paid benefit is about 19 months. If one were to accept a case like this, it would do away with the insurance principle altogether.

Mr. Rose

Is my right hon. Friend aware that it is the policy of some employers to put their employees on part-time work seasonally so that they are employed whole-time during part of the year and only part-time during the winter? Is she aware that in one case in Manchester recently it would have been far more profitable for the person concerned to be unemployed and drawing benefit than to be part-time employed?

Miss Herbison

I am sure that in some cases that does arise where a man is working full time for part of the year.