§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will allow people who are registered as disabled either with a local employment office or a local social services department and who, after an examination by the regional medical officer, have been disallowed invalidity benefit or have voluntarily registered for employment, to be assessed at the long-term rate after one year.
§ Mr. Prentice[pursuant to his reply 20 February 1980, c. 235–36]: I expect the right hon. Gentleman has in mind those people who, while not incapable of work, are, by reason of disability and long unemployment, for practical purposes, unemployable.
The Supplementary Benefits Commission already permits such persons to receive supplementary benefit without registering for employment: such claimants can, therefore, qualify for the longterm scale after two years—after one year under our proposals for reform of the supplementary benefit scheme.