§ Mr. Kenneth Clarkeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she will reconsider the arrangements whereby supplementary benefit can be paid for the two weeks after starting employment on the grounds that wages or salaries are paid monthly.
§ Mr. O'MalleyNo. When a person resumes work after a period of unemployment in which he has had to rely on supplementary benefit it is necessary for benefit to continue until he receives a payment from his employer. This applies both to those paid monthly and to weekly paid people whose employers keep a week's wages in hand.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarkeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she will give an estimate of the cost of paying supplementary benefit for the first two weeks after starting work where payment of wages or salary is on a monthly basis.
§ Mr. O'MalleyNo figures are available, but it is likely that the cost of paying benefit during the first two weeks of employment is largely balanced by a saving incurred in not paying benefit when a person's final payment of wages or salary on leaving employment meets his requirements for two weeks or more.