§ Mr. Heddleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to amend regulation 16 of Supplementary Benefits (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1981 to provide for direct payment of supplementary benefit to a building society where the claimant's repayment has fallen into arrear.
§ Mr. NewtonRegulation 16 of the Supplementary Benefits (Claim and Payments) Regulations 1981 already provides for the direct payment of mortgage interest in certain circumstances. However, the Government are aware of problems with the present arrangements and are considering what steps may be necessary.
§ Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will outline the policy reasons why an unemployed person taking a holiday anywhere within the United Kingdom can obtain supplementary benefit from his Department, whereas a holiday outside the United Kingdom disqualifies him or her from eligibility, even if the holiday venue outside the United Kingdom is geographically nearer to his or her normal residence; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonThe provisions of the Supplementary Benefit Act and Regulations preclude payment of benefit to unemployed people outside the United Kingdom.
It is a basic condition of entitlement that an unemployed claimant should be available for work and in practice this means that he or she must be able to attend an interview or take up the offer of a job immediately. Unemployed people temporarily absent from home on holiday within the United Kingdom receive supplementary benefit only if they can satisfy the independent adjudicating authorities that they remain available for work, for example by providing an address at which they may be quickly contacted for each day of their absence from home and from which they are able to return immediately if a job opportunity occurs. People taking holidays abroad could not generally satisfy these conditions.