§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the age distribution of the miners to be made redundant; and how long their redundancy payments are likely to last before they qualify for social security.
§ Mr. BurtInformation on the age distribution of miners who are affected by redundancy is a matter for British Coal.
The effect of redundancy payments on entitlement to social security benefits will depend on the nature of the payment and on the type of benefit claimed.
Most social security benefits are not affected by statutory redundancy pay, or similar payments intended as compensation for loss of employment. However, in the income-related benefits, such payments are treated as capital and may affect entitlement.