§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether employees who pay national insurance are eligible for unemployment benefit during compulsory unpaid holidays.
§ Mr. JackUnder regulation 7 (1)(h) of the Unemployment, Sickness and Invalidity Benefit Regulations 1983, unemployment benefit cannot be paid while an employee is on a holiday which is recognised or customary in his employment. The only exceptions are
- 1. where the employee has been laid off work for an indefinite period which started more than a week before the holiday, or
- 2. where the employee has used up his whole year's holiday entitlement between the previous 1 March and the date of the holiday.
Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 Column 5 UR date Value of CHB + CDI £ ARV at April 1990 prices over the period £ RV at April 1990 prices at UR date £ Value as a percentage of AGWE £ November 1979 11.10 21.31 23.05 9.7 November 1980 12.25 20.91 22.06 9.1 November 1981 12.95 20.15 20.82 8.7 November 1982 13.80 20.50 20.88 8.6 November 1983 14.10 19.94 20.35 8.2 November 1984 14.50 19.36 19.94 7.7 November 1985 15.05 19.44 19.63 7.5 July 1986 15.15 19.12 19.44 7.2 April 1987 15.30 18.64 18.80 6.8 April 1988 15.65 17.99 18.50 6.4 April 1989 16.20 17.27 17.73 6.0 April 1990 1690 — 16.90 5.7 Abbreviations:
UR =Uprating.
CHB =Child benefit.
CDI =Child dependency increase.
ARV =Average real value.
RV =Real value.
AGWE=Average gross weekly earnings.
Notes:
Column 1: Uprating dates refer to the child dependency increases. For all but the first date they are also the uprating dates for child benefit.
Column 2: The rate of child benefit plus child dependency increase is the same for a widow or an invalidity pensioner.
Column 3: The average real value (using the general index of retail prices) of the amounts in column 2 over the period between the urprating dates in column 1.
Column 4: The real value at April 1990 prices (using the general index of retail prices) of the amounts in column 2 at date of uprating in column 1.
Column 5: The value of the amount in column 2 as a percentage of average gross weekly earnings. The source of the earnings is the new earnings survey and the estimates used up to November 1982 are those for adults aged over 21 in full-time employment whose earnings are unaffected by absence. From November 1983 the source remains the new earnings survey but in respect of all full-time workers on adult rates of pay whose earnings are unaffected by absence.
The differential between the present combined weekly rate of child benefit and child dependency increase and that payable in 1979 expressed in terms of April 1990 prices has been caused by the method by which child dependency increases are uprated. Both the child benefit
588WIt is for the independent adjudicating authorities to decide whether a particular holiday is recognised or customary.