§ Mrs. MahonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will abolish the regulation by which unemployment benefit is reduced by 10p for every 10p over £35 received in occupational pension for those aged 55 years.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out the conditions in which persons over the age of 55 years lose unemployment benefit arising from interaction with pension entitlement.
§ Mr. BurtUnemployment benefit is reduced by 10p for every 10p by which an occupational or personal pension payable to a claimant aged 55 years or over exceeds £35 a week.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he intends to review the benefit rules as set out in NI 230 in so far as they discriminate against persons aged over 55 years; how many persons are in receipt of a reduced level of unemployment benefit arising out of the rules; and what is the reason for the different treatment of persons in receipt of unemployment benefit arising out of the rules.
§ Mr. BurtWe have no plans to revise these rules.
The number of people whose entitlement to unemployment benefit is reduced or extinguished due to the receipt of an occupational or personal pension is 26,400.
The abatement rules are in line with the Government's policy to target help to those in greatest need, particularly those who do not have the support which an occupational or personal pension provides. The reduction of the age threshold from 60 to 55 years was made to reflect changing patterns of retirement. Since the introduction of the original rule, increasing numbers of people have been retiring before the age of 60 with an occupational or personal pension.
Source: Half Yearly Analysis of Unemployed Claimants, May 1992.
§ Mrs. MahonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many people lose all their entitlement to unemployment benefit because of an occupational pension; and are such people still counted on the official register of number of unemployed;
622W(2) how many people lose some amount of unemployment benefit because of receipt of an occupational pension.
§ Mr. BurtThe number of people who lose some amount of unemployment benefit because of receipt of an occupational or personal pension is 26,400. In 9,200 of these cases entitlement to unemployment benefit is extinguished.
Source: Half Yearly Analysis of Unemployed Claimants: May 1992.
People whose entitlement to unemployment benefit is extinguished due to the receipt of an occupational or personal pension may continue to register unemployed for the purpose of obtaining national insurance credits. Those who do so will be included in the unemployment statistics. No figures are held for people who decide not to pursue a claim for credits and they could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mrs. MahonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will raise the age at which receipt of occupational pension affects unemployment benefit from 55 to 60 years of age.