§ Mr KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many claimants of unemployment benefit will be denied benefit in the travel-to-work areas in the constituency of Roxburgh and Berwickshire by imposition of the £43 weekly earnings rule;
(2) if he will list the proportion of claimants of unemployment benefit in each travel-to-work area in the United Kingdom who will be denied unemployment benefit by the new £43 weekly earnings rule.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardI regret that the information requested is not available.
§ Mr KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the number of people who will be excluded from unemployment benefit by the new £43 weekly earnings rule.
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§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardIt is estimated that, in any one week, around 5,000 people declare earnings in excess of £43 and will lose unemployment benefit.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will undertake a full review of benefits available to claimants of unemployment benefit to include the implications of new patterns of work for those claiming benefit.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardWe have no plans to undertake a full review of unemployment benefit. We have recently introduced a number of changes to make the benefit more relevant to current needs. We are of course monitoring the effects of those changes.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will contact each of the people who lost their entitlement to unemployment benefit on 1 January 1989 to inform them that they are entitled to reclaim that benefit in line with section 16(1)(c) of the Interpretation Act 1978 and the previous decision of the Social Security Commissioner in paragraph 5 of case CG/069/1988 and in case Z/10/4811/Norwich.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardAn appeal has been lodged with the Social Security Commissioner against the social security appeal tribunal's decision. It would not be appropriate to anticipate the outcome.