§ Sir R. Russellasked the Minister of Social Security if she is aware that a man who retires at 60 years of age and draws an occupational pension can also draw unemployment benefit until he 259W reaches the age of 65 years and draws a retirement pension, unless the employment exchange at which he is registered offers Lim a suitable post and he refuses it; and whether she will take steps to prevent this abuse.
§ Miss HerbisonUnemployment benefit is payable for up to a maximum of 312 clays to people who satisfy all the conditions for it including the key condition of availability for employment. I have been aware for some time that where a person who has retired with an occupational pension before reaching the minimum age for a National Insurance retirement pension claims unemployment260W benefit it is difficult under the ordinary rules to establish whether he is in fact available for work. It was for this reason that I asked the National Insurance Advisory Committee last year to consider the question whether additional conditions for the receipt of unemployment benefit should be introduced for occupational pensioners and, if so, what those conditions should be. I would refer the hon. Member to the announcement I made on Second Reading of the National Insurance Bill on 7th February, 1966. This difficult and complex question is still under consideration by the Committee.