§ Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what study she has made of the evidence brought to her attention of a disabled worker whose hardship allowance is reduced by £4 weekly because he could earn £41 a week if he were a night watchman although in fact he earns £36 a week and is not a night watchman; and if she will change the regulations governing the amounts of such hardship allowances.
§ Mr. O'MalleyI am aware of the case to which my hon. Friend refers but I do not consider that it calls into question the appropriateness of the present statutory provisions relating to special hardship allowance. The purpose of this allowance is to compensate for earnings capacity which has been lost as the result of an industrial accident or prescribed disease. Up to certain maxima the rate of allowance is the difference between the current level of earnings in the beneficiary's pre-accident regular job and that in the work considered to be suitable for him having regard to his disability, which will not necessarily be the actual work he is performing at the time. Individual benefit claims are, of course, decided by independent adjudicating authorities and I have no power to intervene.