§ Sir John WheelerTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what special provisions are made for retained firefighters with regard to the effect of their earnings from firefighting duties on their entitlement to unemployment benefit, income support, housing benefit, community charge benefit and family credit.
§ Mr. JackAll earnings from firefighting duties are disregarded in assessing the entitlement of a retained firefighter to unemployment benefit. The first £15 of such earnings are ignored in income support, housing benefit and community charge benefit, but earnings above that amount are taken into account in the normal way. In the assessment of family credit, net earnings from firefighting duties are taken into account in the same way as other earnings.