HC Deb 21 July 1994 vol 247 c620W
Mr. Bradley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list each change to the eligibility conditions for benefits under the industrial injuries scheme since 1979.

Mr. Hague

The main changes were:

1983 Injury Benefit abolished and the qualifying period for Disablement Benefit reduced from 26 weeks to 15 weeks;
1986 Threshold for Disablement Benefit raised to 14 per cent. (except for certain respiratory diseases for which the threshold remained at 1 per cent.);
Reduced Earnings Allowance introduced to replace Special Hardship Allowance;
1987 Unemployability Supplement and Hospital Treatment Allowance abolished;
1988 Industrial Death Benefit abolished;
1989 Retirement Allowance (RA) introduced to replace Reduced Earnings Allowance (REA) when a person of pension age gives up regular employment;
1990 REA and RA abolished from 1 October.