§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy that suspension from unemployment benefit will not prejudice applications for hardship payments, and that each application will be decided on its merits alone.
§ Mr. Roger EvansUnemployment benefit is suspended where a question arises over the claimant's 737W entitlement. In such cases, hardship payments of income support are made at the discretion of an adjudication officer on a case-by-case basis. However, hardship payments may be made only to people who are not actively seeking work if they have children, are pregnant or have a pregnant partner, or a sick or disabled or have a partner who is sick or disabled.
§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many unemployed claimants(a) immediately draw income support, (b) draw only unemployment benefit, (c) draw unemployment benefit and means-tested support and (d) draw income support as the right to draw unemployment benefit ceases in the last year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. Roger EvansThe available information is contained in tables 1.1 of the "Quarterly Analyses of Unemployed Claimants", copies of which are in the Library.