§ 16. Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many men and women aged 55 to 60 years and 60 to 65 years are unemployed and looking for work, but receive no State benefits, because they have exhausted their entitlement to unemployment benefit and, because of their spouse's income, are not eligible for supplementary benefit.
§ Mr. RossiAt November 1980, the latest date for which information is available, 11,000 married unemployed claimants aged 55 to 59 had exhausted their title to unemployment benefit and were not receiving supplementary benefit. The corresponding figure for the 60 to 64 age group was 31,600. No analysis is available of the reasons for the non-payment of supplementary benefit in these cases.
§ Mr. BennettWill the Minister accept that many people are suffering considerable hardship because their spouse's income is marginally above the supplementary benefit rate and therefore they receive no benefit? Is the Minister aware that these people are condemned to live on very low incomes until reaching retirement age and that they do not get a proper pension because they have been unable to contribute to the earnings-related pensions scheme?
§ Mr. RossiThe hon. Gentleman will appreciate that when the contributory rights expire and supplementary benefit comes into play it has, of necessity, to be means-tested. The requirements and resources of married couples are always aggregated for supplementary benefit purposes. This reflects their mutual responsibility to each other. Currently, only the husband may make a claim. The requirements and resources of a couple living as husband and wife are also aggregated, so that they are treated neither more nor less advantageously than a married couple.