§ Mr. John Evansasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what would be the amount which an elected member of a principal authority would need to receive in attendance allowances for approved duties before his entitlement to (a) unemployment benefit; (b) sickness benefit, and (c) social security benefit was affected; and, if affected in a graded scale, what the gradations would be.
§ Mr. OrmeI have been asked to reply.
Attendance allowances paid to local authority councillors are regarded as earnings for social security purposes and affect entitlement to benefit as follows:
Unemployment benefit: not payable for any day in respect of which an allowance in excess of 75p is paid;Sickness benefit: payable only if the claimant remains incapable of work; if the approved duties are undertaken on the advice of his doctor; and if his allowances are not more than £10 in a week;Supplementary benefit: the benefit payable is reduced by the amount by which the allowances exceed the weekly earnings disregard. This disregard is currently £6 for a lone parent, £2 for an unemployed claimant required to register for work, and £4 for all other claimants and for the wives of claimants.For each benefit, certain expenses in connection with the council activity may also be allowed against the income taken into account.