§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will withdraw the regulations which require that unemployment benefit shall be refused to any applicant who has accepted redundancy as part of a national industrial arrangement;
(2) if unemployment benefit will be paid to miners who have accepted redundancy under the terms of the national arrangements in the coal industry.
§ Mr. Allen McKayasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what recent instructions have been issued to unemployment benefit offices regarding the eligibility for unemployment benefit of workers who accept voluntary redundancy; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on his policy towards the payment of full unemployment benefit, including for the first six weeks, to redundant miners.
§ Mr. Newton[pursuant to his replies, 20 June 1985, c. 198 and 21 June 1985, c. 255]: Section 20(1)(a) of the Social Security Act 1975 provides that a person shall be disqualified for receiving unemployment benefit for a period not exceeding six weeks if he has voluntarily left his employment without just cause. Decisions on individual claims are a matter for the independent adjudicating authorities and adjudication officers apply the statute law and case law in the light of advice and guidance given by the Chief Adjudication Officer. The latter has recently issued new guidance, based on case law, to the effect that those who have volunteered for redundancy should be considered to have left their employment voluntarily, and should not generally, in the absence of other pressing circumstances, be held to have shown just cause, so that disqualification under section 20(1)(a) should be considered.
337WWe have given careful and urgent consideration to this new guidance on the interpretation of section 20(1)(a) and have concluded that the section should be amended to maintain our policy that those who are redundant should not be regarded as having left employment voluntarily, even though they may have volunteered or agreed to be dismissed by reason of redundancy. My noble Friend has therefore tabled an appropriate new clause to the current Social Security Bill.
We are arranging for extra-statutory payments to be made to any claimant who loses benefit for this reason before the Bill is enacted.