HC Deb 24 April 1967 vol 745 cc1136-8
27. Mr. Winnick

asked the Minister of Social Security how many people who are affected by the wage-stop are disabled or suffering from lengthy sickness, which has been medically confirmed.

The Minister of Social Security (Miss Margaret Herbison)

The wage-stop does net affect cases of lengthy sickness. The number of disabled people so affected is not known, but I can assure my hon. Friend that the Ministry's officers consider very carefully whether a disabled person should be required to register for work and hence made liable to wage-stop.

Mr. Winnick

Is my right hon. Friend aware of the deep anxiety which this whole matter raises? Is there any chance at all of doing away with this obnoxious regulation at least for the sick and disabled?

Miss Herbison

Perhaps I may give my hon. Friend some figures. On 28th March this year, 2,740 out of 27,286 wage-stopped cases were cases of temporary sickness, and, on the same date, over 306,000 sick persons were receiving supplementary allowance. We try to take the greatest care possible of these people.

Miss Pike

But will the right hon. Lady, nevertheless, given special attention to this problem when she is framing the legislation which she has foreshadowed regarding low-income families, because they are very badly hit at present?

Miss Herbison

Yes, Sir; low-income families, whether the father be in work or out of work, are badly hit at this time. The only way to help any of these families is by the kind of proposals which we hope to make very soon.

Mr. Frank Allaun

Was not the purpose of the wage-stop supposed to be to discourage malingering? In the case of disabled and long-term sick people, where medically confirmed, this cannot arise. Will my right hon. Friend look again at this point?

Miss Herbison

The figures I have already given show that long-term sick people do not suffer from the wage-stop at all. It would be very difficult to find criteria for the disabled because not every disabled person is a registered disabled person. The only criterion we have at present is that the man is fit for work, even if light work, and he is asked to register. As I have said, the only cure is to help these families, as we propose to do, when the father is in work or out of work.