§ Mr. Ian McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what are the Government estimates of the percentage of unemployment benefit claimants disqualified from benefit for leaving employment voluntarily, being dismissed for misconduct or for refusal of employment since April 1994, who would be eligible for jobseeker's allowance hardship payments for(a) the 357W completed period of disqualification and (b) part of the period of disqualification. [32592]
§ Mr. Roger EvansThe arrangements for access to hardship payments of jobseeker's allowance will broadly follow those which apply for actively seeking work in income support. As now, entitlement to hardship payments will be decided by an adjudication officer on a case-by-case basis. Figures for those who would be entitled to such payments under jobseeker's allowance are therefore not available.
However, the estimated financial effects of the jobseeker's act include an assumption that up to 90 per cent. of those currently receiving a reduced rate of income support because of a disqualification from unemployment benefit would receive a jobseeker's allowance hardship payment at some point during an equivalent jobseeker's allowance sanction.