§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what arrangements he proposes to make to expedite payment arrangements to nationals of the EU who have won appeals to the tribunal against denial of benefit decisions under the habitual residence test, pending his Departments appeal against the tribunal verdict; what assessment he has made of hardship arising during the waiting period for his Department's further appeal and the appropriate arrangements to cover such hardship; and if he will make a statement. [18165]
§ Mr. Roger EvansWhere an adjudication officer has appealed to a social security commissioner against a decision of a social security appeal tribunal to award benefit, payment of that benefit may be suspended pending the outcome of the appeal. Decisions to suspend payment are made on a case by case basis by Benefits Agency staff acting on behalf of the Secretary of State. Payments of benefits should not be suspended where doing so would cause severe hardship. Statistics are not kept on the number of cases where payments are made because of hardship.