§ Mr. Hunterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his answer of 16 January, Official Report, c. 133, whether a person on supplementary benefit with savings of less than £500 or a dependant of such a person who obtains a job interview requiring travel of more than 10 miles from home will be expected by his Department to secure confirmation from the prospective employer and from the Manpower Services Commission that assistance in meeting costs will not be forthcoming before his Department will entertain a claim for payment of benefit for fares and, when appropriate, for the cost of overnight lodging.
§ Dr. BoysonIt is for the benefit officer adjudicating a claim to supplementary benefit to decide what evidence is necessary to show that the claimant is entitled to a payment, and he has power to call for such evidence if he requires it. In the case of claims for single payments to meet the cost of fares to a job interview more than 10 miles from the claimant's home, the guidance given to benefit officers by the chief supplementary benefit officer is that the claimant should be asked to check whether his prospective employer will pay—no guidance is given about any evidence which should be required to confirm this—and, if not, to approach the Manpower Services Commission. The guidance goes on to suggest that, before payment is made, the benefit officer should confirm the claimant's statement that the employment services division of the Manpower Services Commission will not pay.