HC Deb 20 July 1989 vol 157 cc264-5W
Mr. Hannam

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what guidelines are issued to his Department's staff reviewing the benefit eligibility of disabled people leaving the employment training programme; whether these guidelines are available to the public; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Disabled people who are not taking up full-time employment and who remain incapacitated may again receive sickness benefit, invalidity benefit, or severe disablement allowance provided that they produce medical evidence to substantiate their condition.

Departmental staff are instructed to this effect. Disabled claimants who were receiving an incapacity benefit immediately before starting their employment training course are sent a letter advising them that if they are sick within a period of eight weeks after their training course ends they may be entitled again provided that they make a fresh claim.

The relevant guidelines for determining income support claims are set out in income support circular No. 15/88, and in the adjudication officers' guide paragraph 25495, both of which are published. Most disabled people receiving income support immediately before they start employment training continue to do so throughout their course. Although termination of training constitutes a change in status from employment trainee to unemployed

Budgeting loans and community care grants for Leeds West ILO and nationally, percentage by client group 1988–89
Per cent.
(00) (01) (02) (03) (04) (05) (06) (07) (08) (09) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15)1
Leeds West ILO
Budgeting Loans 0.5 0.6 0.6 4.3 0.2 2.5 2.9 48.4 0.8 2.4 14.9 17.2 1.0 3.6 0.0 n/a
Community Care Grants 0.5 4.2 0.9 12.0 0.5 2.8 4.2 35.2 0.0 0.0 8.3 17.1 4.6 5.1 0.0 4.6
Great Britain
Budgeting Loans 0.5 0.3 0.6 3.9 0.4 3.6 3.6 43.9 0.7 2.1 16.7 18.8 1.0 3.8 0.0 n/a
Community Care Grants 0.4 4.5 3.7 14.3 0.9 3.4 10.0 25.2 0.7 1.5 9.5 16.4 2.0 6.3 0.0 1.1
n/a = not available
1 Key to client groups
Code Meaning
00 unallocated or unidentified
01 over 80—with Income Support higher pensioner premium
02 aged 60–79—disabled with higher pensioner premium
03 aged 60–79—with ordinary pensioner premium, or over 60 without pensioner premium
04 lone parent with Income Support disability premium
05 family with disability premium
06 other with disability premium
07 lone parent without disability premium
08 signs at UBO quarterly with Income Support family premium
09 signs at UBO quarterly without family premium
10 signing unemployed or with training allowance with family premium
11 signing unemployed or with training allowance without family premium
12 others with family premium
13 others without family premium
14 involved in trade dispute
15 applicant not in receipt of Income Support—not applicable for budgeting loans

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