§ Mr. Berminghamasked the Paymaster General what is the total number of persons in St. Helens who have had their benefits suspended for failure to attend restart interviews at the latest date available.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeUp to 9 October 1986, the latest date for which figures are available, 28 people in St. Helens had been disallowed unemployment or supplementary benefit for failure to attend restart interviews.
Social security and supplementary benefit law has always provided for disallowance of unemployment or supplementary benefit where an unemployed person fails without good cause to attend an interview about employment to which he has been twice invited. The disallowance continues to such time as he or she does attend. Twenty-five of these people have now attended an interview and had benefit reinstated.
§ Mr. Berminghamasked the Paymaster General (1) what is the total number of persons being seen on an average day by benefit offices conducting availability testing interviews in the St. Helens area;
(2) what is the total number of persons whose benefit has been terminated or suspended as a result of interviews conducted on the availability test in the St. Helens area;
(3) if he will make it his policy to advise claimants interviewed on the availability test in the St. Helens area to seek independent advice before completion of the questionnaire.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe unemployment benefit office at St. Helens did not take part in the experimental testing of availability for work other than keeping statistics for comparison purposes. Therefore, there were no suspensions or disallowances on availability grounds arising out of the experiment although the usual procedure followed by all offices would identify some cases of doubtful availability in the normal way.
In the past claimants have not been advised to seek independent advice before completion of claim forms and we have no intention of changing this policy.