§ Sir K. WOODasked the Minister of Labour the number of claims for benefit made and the number disallowed at the Employment Exchange, Woolwich, with the reason for such disallowances, during the years 1926 and 1929, respectively?
§ Mr. LAWSONBetween 1926 and 1929 changes were made in the conditions for the receipt of unemployment benefit and the procedure for dealing with claims on which a question as to title to benefit arose was also altered. The statistics of954W disallowances in these two years are therefore not strictly comparable. Statistics are not available in respect of disallowances by insurance officers in 1926 of claims made at the Woolwich Employment Exchange.
The available figures are given in the following tables:
Woolwich Employment Exchange Period 12th January, 1926, to 10th January, 1927. Number of Fresh and Renewal Claims made 16,121 Applications for Extended Benefit recommended for disallowance by the Woolwich Local Employment Committee:— Reason for disallowance: Not normally insurable and not seeking to obtain a livelihood by means of insurable employment 125 Insurable employment not likely to be available 144 Not a reasonable period of insurable employment during the preceding two years 1,089 Not making every reasonable effort to obtain suitable employment, or not willing to accept suitable employment 1,102 Single persons residing with relatives 470 Married women who could look for support from their husbands 54 Married men who could look for support from their wives 1 Working short time but earning sufficient for maintenance 36 Postponed for a definite period 16 Total recommended for disallowance 3,037 955W
Period 15th January, 1929, to13th January, 1930. Number of Fresh and Renewal Claims made 15,532 (a) Claims disallowed by Insurance Officers.* Permanent provisions: First Statutory Condition (30 contributions in past two years)† 5 Not unable to obtain suitable employment 160 Not genuinely seeking work 1,473 Employment lost through misconduct 261 Employment left voluntarily without just cause 662 Other grounds 95 Transitional provisions: Less than eight contributions paid in previous two years or 30 contributions paid at any time 11
Not normally insurable, and not seeking to obtain a livelihood by means of insurable employment and not a reasonable period of insurable employment during the preceding two years 309 Total claims disallowed 2,976 (b) Claims recommended for disallowance by Courts of Referees on review after payment of 78 days' benefit.
Not genuinely seeking work 116 Total recommended for disallowance 116 * The figures relate to claims to benefit and not to separate individuals. In a number of these cases the decisions were reversed on appeal to Courts of Referees. †This condition at present operates only in the case of juveniles under 18 years of age.