§ Ms. ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) whether unemployed claimants are assessed as showing good cause for rejecting the offer of an otherwise suitable vacancy from the employment service if they can show that their mortgage repayments were such that they would represent an unreasonably high proportion of the wages they would derive from the employment; and if he will make a statement;
(2) whether unemployed claimants are assessed as showing good cause for rejecting the offer of an otherwise suitable vacancy from the employment service if they can show that the necessary child care costs they would incur were such that they would represent an unreasonably high proportion of the wages they would derive from the employment; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. EggarIs is for the adjudicating authorities to decide whether a person can show good cause for refusing to apply for or accept a particular vacancy. The Social Security (Unemployment, Sickness and Invalidity Benefit) Amendment No. 2 Regulations 1989 require them to take into account the expenses that would necessarily and exclusively be incurred by the claimant for the purposes of the employment, if they would represent an unreasonably high proportion of the expected remuneration from the employment. However, mortgage repayments and child care costs are general financial commitments and not expenses for the purposes of the employment.
A claimant does not have good cause for refusing any employment if the reasons relate to their income or outgoings, or those of any other member of their household.