§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give instructions to his Department's staff to improve its procedures regarding the awarding of non-contributory invalidity pension to severely handicapped children over school-leaving age but who still attend school; if he will clarify the position in the Official Report; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonNon-contributory invalidity pension is a benefit for people of working age who have been incapable of work for a continuous period of 28 weeks or more but who have not paid enough national insurance contributions to qualify for the contributory invalidity benefit. It would be inappropriate to pay non-contributory invalidity penions to young people in full-time education, as this can be considered to be closely akin to a working situation. However, young people under 19 are only excluded from non-contributory invalidity pension where education is obtained from a normal curriculum occupying approximately the normal number of hours in a recognised school, college, university or comparable establishment. The decisive factor is the nature and amount of the 439W education received. Before a decision is given, existing procedural instructions require the Department's staff to enquire into the details of the schooling of each individual claimant. These procedures are kept constantly under review. I shall shortly be writing in more detail to the hon. Member in reply to his recent letter on the subject.