§ Mr. Robert Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will publish in the Official Report for the financial year 1975–76 the number of claimants of earnings-related sickness benefit who received less than their full entitlement as a result of the operation of the wage-stop rule;
(2) if he will publish in the Official Report, to the latest convenient date in the current financial year, the number of claimants of earnings-related sickness benefit who received less than their full entitlement as a result of the operation of the wage-stop rule;
(3) if he will publish in the Official Report, for the financial year 1975–76 and to the latest date in the current financial year, the number of claimants of earnings-related unemployment benefit who received less than their full entitlement as a result of the operation of the wage-stop rule.
(4) if claimants of either earnings-related sickness benefit or earnings-related unemployment benefit, who have received less than their entitlement due to the operation of the wage-stop rule are entitled to make a claim for supplementary benefit to his department.
§ Mr. OrmeMy hon. Friend is no doubt referring to the provision whereby, if the total unemployment or sickness benefit due is more than 85 per cent. of the claimant's average weekly earnings, any earnings-related benefit payable is reduced or extinguished. Information about the number of claimants so affected is not available in the form requested; but, for the year 1975, the numbers of claimants who had their earnings-related benefit reduced in this way were: unemployment benefit, 35,500; sickness benefit, 35,400.
The statistics for unemployment benefit relate to the position at one day in November 1975, and those for sickness benefit to one day in June 1975. Beneticaries whose entitlement has been reduced in this way may be entitled to supplementary benefit if their resources fall short of their requirements.
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