§ Mrs. Beckettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people he expects to lose all entitlement to unemployment benefit from the reduction from 60 to 55 years of the age at which that benefit is abated against an occupational pension.
§ Mrs. Beckettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many people are expected to lose from the tightening of the first condition for receipt of unemployment benefit;
(2) how many are expected to lose from the tightening of the second condition for receipt of unemployment benefit.
§ Mr. ScottIt is estimated that about 280,000 people a year would lose some benefit from the tightening of the second contribution condition for entitlement to unemployment benefit if it was introduced in isolation. About 350,000 would lose some benefit from the tightening of both contribution conditions simultaneously. I regret that no reliable estimate is available of the number who would lose benefit as a result of tightening only the first condition.