§ 38. Mr. Woodhouseasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether she will review the regulation by which sickness benefit is automatically stopped in the case of mentally disabled persons who earn more than 40s. a week.
§ Mr. PentlandNo, Sir. Sickness benefit is paid for incapacity for work. The earnings of 40s. which are referred to are merely a practical measure of the amount of therapeutic work a person may be allowed to do and still be treated as incapable of work for sickness benefit purposes.
§ Mr. WoodhouseIs the Joint Parliamentary Secretary aware that the National Insurance Advisory Committee, in proposing this limitation in 1960, at 609 the same time recommended that the limit should be reviewed if there were evidence of a substantial change in the pattern of employment of such cases? If I send the hon. Gentleman evidence to show that there has been such a substantial change, at any rate in the Oxford region, will he consider it?
§ Mr. PentlandYes, Sir. I will be glad to look into any evidence which the hon. Gentleman sends to me on this matter.