§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomleyasked the Paymaster General if, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Colne Valley (Mr. Wainwright), Official Report, 9 December, column 115, he plans to make any changes to arrangements for assessing training allowances for those taking part in the pilots of the new job training scheme.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeChanges are being introduced this month which will simplify arrangements for people going on to the scheme.
Under these revised arrangements new trainees will receive a training allowance based on their benefit entitlement and normally this will equal the amount of unemployment benefit last paid or, in the case of those receiving supplementary benefit, a fixed amount below the non-householder scale rate. This will be topped up by a 335W training supplement, where appropriate, to the person's level of benefit entitlement. People getting this training supplement will continue to qualify for single payments, certificated housing benefit and other passported benefits without the need for any special arrangements.