§ Mr. Robert McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the rules and declarations applying to those on unemployment benefit and/or income support who wish to travel within Northern Ireland or visit(a) Great Britain, (b) the Republic of Ireland and (c) another EU country; what assessments he has made of (a) the degree of compliance with and (b) the adequacy of the rules; and what proposals he has to change them. [3539]
§ Mr. MossUnemployed people claiming unemployment benefit and/or income support and travelling within Northern Ireland and Great Britain must remain available for work with an employer and take reasonable steps each week to find such work.
Generally, unemployment benefit and income support are not payable outside the United Kingdom and this applies to people visiting the Republic of Ireland as for other European Union countries. The only exception for 318W unemployment benefit is that, under European Community law, benefit can continue to be paid for up to three months to unemployed nationals of a member state going to another member state specifically to seek work.
Certain people on income support who are not in the employment field may go outside the United Kingdom and retain their entitlement for up to four weeks.
All claimants are required to declare any relevant change of circumstances, including absence from their usual address.
There is no indication that the current rules are not being complied with or are inadequate. The same rules apply throughout the United Kingdom and there are no plans at present to change them.