HC Deb 08 June 1972 vol 838 cc153-5W
Mr. Meacher

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list those supplementary benefit offices in England and Wales where the four-week rule restricting supplementary allowance is currently applied; at what date this standard control procedure was re-adopted in each administrative area following its suspension during the miners' strike; and, in each of these areas, what was the cumulative total of withdrawals of supplementary benefit entitlement after respectively, four-week and three-month warnings up to suspension and to date following re-adoption.

Mr. Dean

I regret the precise information requested is not available and could not be obtained without undue use of resources. As to the offices now operating the four-week rule and the date from which it was reapplied, information is as follows:

Date Rule Re-applied and Office London West Region

10th April, 1972—Harlesden, Hounslow, Twickenham, Aldershot (excluding the Alton and Liphook areas).

19th April 1972—Newport Pagnell, Uxbridge, Wembley, Reading, Slough (Slough/Windsor areas only).

24th April, 1972—Southall.

1st May, 1972—Fareham, Newbury, High Wycombe.

8th May, 1972—Harrow.

9th May, 1972—Newport, Isle of Wight.

31st May, 1972—Bournemouth.

London South Region

5th May, 1972—Bognor, Brighton (2 offices), Bromley, Crawley, Croydon, Crystal Palace, Guildford, Hove, Kingston, Lewes, Morden, Orpington, Redhill, Surbiton, Sutton, Thornton Heath, Wimbledon, Woking, Worthing.

South Western Region

12th May, 1972—Barnstaple, Bridgewater, Exeter (excluding Oakhampton Employment Exchange area), Gloucester, Launceston (excluding Camelford Employment Exchange area), Newton Abbot, Penzance, Poole, St. Austell (excluding St. Austell Employment Exchange area), Salisbury, Stroud, Swindon, Taunton, Torquay, Trowbridge, Truro (excluding Falmouth Employment Exchange area), Weston-super-Mars, Weymouth, Yeovil.

West Midlands Region

8th May, 1972—Kidderminster.

16th May, 1972—Dudley.

North Western (Merseyside) Region

15th May, 1972—Blackpool (2 offices).

Mr. Meacher

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services for each month since 14th December, 1971, how many unemployed persons have had their entitlement to a supplementary allowance terminated after, respectively, four weeks and three months; how many have had their application for a renewal of their allowance accepted and how many have had it refused during each of these months; how many have appealed successfully and how many unsuccessfully; and what is the cumulative total to date since July 1968 in each of these categories.

TABLE A—SUPPLEMENTARY ALLOWANCES ISSUED INITIALLY FOR A LIMITED PERIOD SINCE 14TH DECEMBER, 1971
Statistical period Allowances limited initially to maximum of four weeks Number of allowances renewed at end of four weeks All refusals Appeals to Claimant successful Tribunal Claimant unsuccessful
15th December, 1971 to 18th January, 1972 (5 weeks) 2,848 596 48 8 44
19th January, 1972 to 22nd February, 1972 (5 weeks) 1,772 411 40 4 30
23rd February, 1972 to 21st March,1972 (4 weeks) Nil 3 Nil 2 9
22nd March, 1972 to 18th April,1972 (4 weeks) 87 4 2 Nil Nil
19th April, 1972 to 16th May, 1972 (4 weeks) 349 11 3 Nil Nil

TABLE B—SUPPLEMENTARY ALLOWANCES REVIEWED AFTER THREE MONTHS
Statistical period* Allowances on which a limit of a further four weeks benefit was imposed Appeals against cessation of benefit
Claimant successful Claimant unsuccessful
15th December, 1971 to 21st March, 1972 197 2 6
* Quarterly Returns.
†The total number of cases reviewed after three months is not recorded. The figures in this column include cases where claims terminated before the end of the four weeks or were renewed.
TABLE C—CUMULATIVE TOTALS OF SUPPLEMENTARY ALLOWANCES ISSUED FOR LIMITED PERIODS OCTOBER, 1968 TO MAY, 1972
Awards made initially for four weeks at outset of claim 246,374
Awards reviewed after three months and at that point limited to a further four weeks (to 21st March, 1972) 14,501
Allowances extended at end of four weeks without appeal 10,674
Appeals against curtailment of allowances:
Claimant successful 409
Claimant unsuccessful 2,464