§ Mr. Wheelerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if it is normal practice to send social security cheques for unemployment benefit to persons who are resident outside the United Kingdom; 744W and if he will make a statement about this.
§ Mr. PrenticeUnited Kingdom unemployment benefit is normally payable only to persons who are available for work in the United Kingdom. Under EEC regulations on social security, however, people who have been unemployed and entitled to benefit for four weeks or more who go to another EEC country to seek work can continue to receive United Kingdom unemployment benefit for up to a further three months if they register with the employment services of the other country. Payment is normally made on behalf of the United Kingdom by the unemployment benefit institution of the EEC country in which they are seeking work.
Payments of unemployment benefit may be sent direct to a person living abroad where they represent arrears of benefit due for a period when the person was living in this country.