§ Mr. Andrew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Oxford, East of 19 February,Official Report, columns 548-49, if he will consider the case for a special exemption from the process of signing on in respect of recently bereaved income support claimants signing on for the first time.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardTitle to benefit is decided on the facts of each individual case. We have given careful consideration to the case for exempting recently bereaved people from signing on in order to receive income support. We have no plans to make such an exemption.