§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Employment what instructions are given to local employment offices as regards following up offers of part-time work; and whether a register of part-time job opportunities is maintained.
§ Mr. Jim LesterI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission—MSC—that part-time vacancies are readily accepted by jobcentres and employment offices in the same way as full-time vacancies. Employment service staff display details of part-time vacancies in the self-service areas of jobcentres and employment offices and match requirements for part-time workers against details of people registered for work. People identified as being prima facie suitable are then put in touch with the employers concerned. Part-time vacancies are included in the statistics of unfilled vacancies, but no separately identified register of part-time vacancies is maintained by the MSC.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether local employment offices are told to encourage people, especially the long-term unemployed, to seek any work available, including part-time work; and whether a benefit recipient who refuses part-time work can lose his right to benefit.
§ Mr. Jim LesterI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission—MSC—that staff in jobcentres and employment offices are trained to help and encourage job seekers, including long-term unemployed people, into suitable employment. This includes part-time work, temporary work and seasonal work, as well as full-time permanent jobs. In practice, the experience of the employment service is that the demand for part-time work, particularly among married women, is strong. A benefit recipient who refuses part-time work can indeed lose his right to benefit, but much depends upon the details of the job and the individual's circumstances.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Employment in what circum- 367W stances it is to the financial advantage of the long-term unemployed to take up part-time work.
§ Mrs. ChalkerI have been asked to reply.
There is almost invariably some financial advantage to the long-term unemployed in taking up part-time work. The advantage may, however, not be great if the person concerned is in receipt of means-tested benefits, since these must inevitably be subject to reduction if the recipient earns more than a relatively small amount. For supplementary benefit purposes, the first £2 a week of net earnings is ignored—after allowance has been made for expenses in connection with the employment. The amount of supplementary benefit payable is reduced by the amount of earnings over £2.