§ Mr. H. WILLIAMSasked the Minister of Labour to what extent persons whose unemployment benefit is disallowed obtain employment or seek Poor Law relief?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDThe only available information bearing directly on this point is that obtained from an inquiry made in April, 1926, at certain typical Employment Exchanges in co-operation with the Poor Law authorities in order to ascertain the extent to which persons whose benefit claims were disallowed during a period of one week obtained Poor Law relief within a period of 14 days from the date on which the disallowance was notified. The areas concerned in the inquiry were:
Birmingham, Dudley, Dundee, Gateshead, Greenock, Hackney, Liverpool, Portsmouth, Stratford (West Ham) and Swansea.
1,431 cases were dealt with in the inquiry.
The results showed that of the males whose benefit claims were disallowed, 15.3 per cent, were already in receipt of relief at the date when the disallowance was notified to them. (In 6.1 per cent, the amount of relief was increased within 14 days and in 9.2 per cent, the amount was not increased.) In 13.2 per cent, the individuals were not in receipt of relief when the disallowance of benefit
1816Wfigures for the silk, lace, and musical instrument industries?
§ Mr. BETTERTONThe following table gives for certain industries the estimated number of workpeople in Great Britain insured under the Unemployment Insurance Acts at July, 1923 and 1924, and the numbers of such persons recorded as unemployed:
was notified but relief was granted within 14 days; while in the remaining 71.5 per cent., relief was not granted at any time within the 14 day period.
Of those who at some time within the 14 day period referred to above received Poor Law relief 15.5 per cent, had removed their unemployment books before the end of the period and had therefore presumably obtained insured employment; 65.2 per cent, remained on the register at the Employment Exchanges up to the end of the 14 day period; and 19.3 per cent, had ceased to register by the end of the 14 day period but their unemployment books remained lodged at the Exchange. Of those who did not obtain Poor Law relief, 38.6 per cent, had removed their unemployment books on obtaining insured employment by the end of the 14 day period; 35.5 per cent, continued to register at the Employment Exchange; and 25.9 per cent, ceased to register but their unemployment books remained lodged.
Taking the whole of the males included in the inquiry together, whether Poor Law relief was granted or not, the inquiry showed that 32.1 per cent, had removed their unemployment books on obtaining employment in an insured trade by the end of the 14 day period; 43.9 per cent, of the males whose benefit claims were disallowed were continuing to register at the Exchanges at the end of 1817W the 14 day period; and 24 per cent, had ceased to register but their books remained lodged.