§ Lord Henderson of Bromptonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the guidance to adjudication officers in paragraph 1847 of the S. Manual, regarding cases where there is a difference of medical opinion on a person's fitness for work, will be reproduced in the section of the Adjudication Officers' Guide dealing with entitlement to income support.
§ Lord SkelmersdaleGuidance covering questions on the conflict of medical opinion is included in volume 1 of the Adjudication Officers' Guide which deals with adjudication matters relating to all social security benefits, including income support. The relevant paragraphs are AOG 03062et. seq. on the questions of medical evidence, and AOG 04134 et. seq. on distinguishing between matters of opinion and matters of fact. In addition, paragraph 25299 of Volume 3 of the AOG specifies the reduction, of either 20 per cent. or 40 per cent. of the personal allowance, that will apply to the applicable amount for a claimant: "who is exempt from the availability condition because of a conflict of medical evidence." When the Adjudication Officers' Guide is published later this month, copies will be placed in the Library.