HC Deb 05 November 1986 vol 103 c458W
Mrs. Dunwoody

asked the Paymaster General (1) how many recipients of unemployment benefit were disbarred under the trial scheme operating in the Crewe and Nantwich travel-to-work area;

(2) how many recipients of unemployment benefit were interviewed in the new trial scheme operated in the Crewe and Nantwich constituency;

(3) how many recipients of unemployment benefit were temporarily deprived of payment, and how many subsequently had their entitlement confirmed, under the trial scheme recently operating in the Crewe and Nantwich constituency.

Mr. Lee

Information is not available in the form asked. Crewe unemployment benefit office was one of 12 offices taking part in availability testing experiments in questioning more closely whether claimants were available for work. Between 16 June 1986 and 19 September 1986 all claimants at the Crewe office reaching their sixth week of unemployment were asked to complete a questionnaire. Questionnaires were issued to 770 claimants and this resulted in 138 claims being referred to the independent adjudicating authorities. Of these, 20 were disallowed on availability grounds and 118 were allowed.