§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the permitted earnings of (a) war pensioners, (b) all others except war pensioners and (c) those working in sheltered employment before deductions are made from benefits; how often these permitted earnings levels are increased; and what criteria are used in the revised assessment.
§ Mr. Meacher,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 5th April 1976; Vol. 909, c. 61], circulated the following information:
A number of rather different questions are involved. Current earnings affect only those benefits which are related to current loss of earnings or of working capacity, to dependency, or to current financial need. They do not therefore affect war or industrial disablement pensions based on loss of faculty, or special 593W allowances related to particular aspects of disablement such as constant attendance allowance or attendance allowances. I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment that people in sheltered employment receive earnings for the work they do, and that those earnings are not subject to any prescribed limit.
The earnings figures at present in operation which my hon. Friend no doubt has in mind are the retirement pensions earnings rule; the supplementary benefit earnings disregards; the unemployment benefit subsidiary occupation rule; and the therapeutic earnings limit for the various incapacity benefits—sickness benefit, injury benefit, invalidity pension and unemployability supplement. The rules affecting an increase of benefit in respect of an adult dependant vary according to the benefit in payment. Broadly speaking, an increase of one of the long-term benefits in respect of a wife living with the pensioner
Benefit Relevant earnings and limits Weekly earnings figure above which deductions are made or benefit is not payable Retirement Pension … Earnings Rule: The earnings rule applies during the first 5 years following minimum pension age (65 for men, 60 for women). £35 Supplementary Benefit … Disregards: Disregard for claimants required to register for work in order to claim benefit. £2 Other claimants £4 Claimant's wife £4 Unemployment Benefit … Subsidiary Occupation Rule: Earnings limit from subsidiary part-time job. 75p a day Sickness Benefit … Therapeutic Earnings Limit: Injury Benefit … Limit on earnings resulting from therapeutic work not otherwise inconsistent with incapacity for work. £7 (The annual equivalent in the case of unemployability supplement). Non-contributory Invalidity Pension … Unemployability Supplement …