§ Ms. MowlamTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will consider reintroducing income support to 16 and 17-year-olds who do not receive an offer of a YTS place at the termination of their period of bridging allowance or extended child benefit.
§ Mr. Needham[holding answer 19 April 1989]: In line with the policy of maintaining parity in social security provision, the rules for paying income support to 16 and 17-year-olds in Northern Ireland are kept in line with those for the rest of the United Kingdom. At present income support is payable under the normal rules to a number of 16 and 17-year-olds, for example, if they are incapable of work or have a child. Claims for income support under the "severe hardship" provision will be considered from any 16 or 17-year-old who is actively pursuing a place in the youth training programme.
§ Ms. MowlamTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many 16 and 17-year-olds who remain unemployed after the ending of the bridging allowance payments or extended child benefit (1) applied for severe hardship grants from the social fund or (2) received severe hardship grants from the social fund for each month, October 1988 to March 1989, inclusive.
§ Mr. Needham[holding answer 19 April 1989]: Severe hardship payments are made under the income support scheme rather than the social fund and the available information is set out in the table below:
Income support severe hardship applications Applications received Admitted for payment October 1988 2 2 November 1988 3 2 December 1988 7 5 January 1989 5 5 February 1989 7 6 March 1989 13 11