§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why a student is treated as being in full-time employment and not entitled to claim family income supplement.
§ Mr. OrmeA lone parent or the man in a couple must be engaged, and normally engaged, in remunerative full-time work of at least 30 hours per week to be eligible for family income supplement (FIS). Students are not regarded as being in remunerative full-time work for FIS purposes apart from certain post-graduate students whose research work has financial support from an industrial concern and sandwich course students who are engaged in paid work of at least 30 hours per week when they make a claim for FIS. From 3 April, it is proposed that the number of hours a lone parent has to work to be eligible for FIS will be reduced to 24 per week.