§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will explain the apparent discrepancy between the reply of the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Morrison) to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe, on16 April, Official Report, c. 234, and the reply of the hon. Member for Wallasey (Mrs. Chalker) to the hon. Member for Devon, North (Mr. Speller) on 1 June, Official Report, c. 298, concerning the availability of quarterly signing for disabled, unemployed people under the age of 50 years; and if he will make a further statement.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonMy early reply outlined the main criteria for quarterly attendance of unemployed people in general. This reply deals with the modifications of attendance arrangements available to the disabled, to which reference was made in the reply of the hon. Member for Wallasey (Mrs. Chalker).
Disabled claimants, like all unemployed people who have not done more than a limited amount of work in the previous two years, can attend quarterly if they satisfy the criteria in my earlier reply on 16 April, Official Report, c. 234. This two-year period will shortly be reduced to a minimum of 1 year.
Those who are handicapped by physical or mental disability and who have limited prospects of finding suitable work in the near future can claim credits of contributions quarterly if they:
- 1. are not entitled to unemployment benefit and are not receiving supplementary benefit;
- 2. have not worked during the previous year—excluding part-time work of up to four hours per week;
- 3. have registered for work for at least 39 weeks of that period;
- 4. have not been disqualified from receiving benefit because of a refusal of a suitable job in the previous two years; and
- 5. there is no positive evidence of a fraudulent claim in the previous two years.