§ Mr. Nobleasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide for the management of companies experiencing short-time working pre-paid post cards for the purpose of claiming unemployment benefit, so that they can be issued to employees, thus saving long and expensive journeys to employment exchanges.
§ Mr. John FraserTo ensure the proper control of claims for unemployment benefit and prevention of abuse, claimants are normally required to attend their nearest unemployment benefit office to make their claims. Claimants who are infirm, or live more than six miles from their nearest benefit office, may make their weekly claims to that office by post using pre-paid envelopes.
In cases where an unemployment benefit office is unable to deal with large numbers of people put on short-time working by a particular company, arrangements may be made by the local benefit office management for the claims to be dealt with on the firm's premises, either by benefit office staff or by the employer, depending on the circumstances.
Provision of pre-paid postcards for the purpose of claiming unemployment benefit to people who may be still receiving some wages, could not be justified on 23W grounds of cost or fairness to other national insurance contributors and to those claimants who are unemployed and required to attend weekly.