§ 2. Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will end the requirement for unemployed people to pay the first £1 of travel costs to visit employment offices at the request of his Department.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Employment (Mr. David Waddington)No, Sir. Those who claim benefit by post and are therefore required to visit the unemployment benefit office only once a quarter now have to pay the first £1 of their travel costs. This change was introduced to bring such claimants more in line with the majority of claimants who live near enough to the office to sign in person fortnightly and who receive no assistance with fares.
§ Mr. FoulkesWith the real value of unemployment benefit plummeting and with people having no hope of a job, is the Minister aware that such a response is piling insult on injury for those in rural areas? Will he accept that I have had many complaints from my constituents, who are suffering hardship as a result of the additional imposition? Will he therefore reconsider this issue?
§ Mr. WaddingtonThose who attend unemployment benefit offices once a quarter and now have to pay £1 per 729 quarter will still almost certainly be better off than the mass of claimants who have to report fortnightly. That surely is a measure of equity.