§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people aged under 25 years have received discretionary hardship payments from his Department's local offices in Wales since October 1988.
§ Mr. ScottRegulation 8(3) of the Income Support (General) Regulations was introduced in April 1988. Under it a person normally required to be available for work in order to receive income support may be excused that requirement, and therefore receive benefit, if he or his family would suffer hardship. Information on the number of people awarded benefit under this provision since October 1988 is not available. Details are being recorded from the start of October 1989 and the first figures will be available at the end of November.
Section 20(4) of the Social Security Act 1986 gives the Secretary of State power to direct that a person aged 16 or 17 may receive income support, when he or she would not ordinarily be entitled, if payment of benefit is the only means of preventing severe hardship. In the period 12 September 1988 to 10 November 1989 a total of 533 applications from the Department's offices in Wales were considered under this provision. In 341 cases (64 per cent.) a direction was given to enable income support to be paid.