§ Mr. Spellerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will allow men who have retired below the age of 65 years and woman who have retired below the age of 60 years, who are in receipt of occupational pensions but do not seek paid employment, to register for their national insurance credit by post on a quarterly or similar basis rather than the present fortnightly signing-on-routine.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe situation described by my hon. Friend is unlikely to arise since entitlement to both unemployment benefit and credits is dependent on the298W availability of the person concerned for employed earner's employment. However, an occupational pensioner aged over 60 whose unemployment benefit is extinguished because of his pension, but who remains available for work and wishes to claim credits, may do so by sending a declaration of unemployment to the benefit office, by post, every three months. Others, aged over 50, who have been unemployed for two years or more—shortly to be reduced to one year or more—or who are disabled and have been unemployed for one year or more, may claim supplementary benefit and credits quarterly, normally by attendance at the benefit office.