§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if people living abroad and incapable of work who are ineligible for sickness or invalidity benefit may receive credits of contributions for the purposes of their entitlement to retirement pension; if there is any distinction between countries with which the United Kingdom has reciprocal arrangements and those with which the United Kingdom does not; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RossiA person living abroad and ineligible for sickness or invalidity benefit cannot normally get credits of contributions. A person who is eligible for sickness or invalidity benefit while abroad can get credits. Some reciprocal arrangements extend eligibility for sickness and276W invalidity benefits, and hence credits, but more usually they give access to the benefit of the country in which the sick person is living. We have no proposals to change the rules under which credits are available to people abroad.