HC Deb 27 February 1997 vol 291 c313W
Mr. Rooney

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what criteria are used by the Benefits Agency in determining whether a claimant has deliberately disposed of income or capital in order to qualify for income-based jobseeker's allowance. [17943]

Mr. Roger Evans

The information is contained in the jobseeker's allowance and income support adjudication officer's guide, part 33 paragraphs 33570–3589 and part 34 paragraphs 34805–34846. A copy of the guide is available in the Library.

Mr. Rooney

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what national insurance contribution conditions carers have to meet in order to qualify for contribution-based jobseeker's allowance. [17942]

Mr. Evans

Under jobseeker's allowance, the national insurance contribution conditions for carers are the same as for other jobseekers. As with the previous unemployment benefit scheme, entitlement to the contribution-based element of jobseeker's allowance is based on the individual's national insurance contributions in the last two full tax years before the year of the claim to jobseeker's allowance.

There are two contribution conditions. The first condition which a person must satisfy is to have paid class 1 contributions of 25 times the lower earnings limit—currently £61—in one of the two relevant tax years. The second condition is that class 1 contributions must have been paid or credited of at least 50 times the lower earnings limit—currently £61—in both the two relevant tax years on which the claim is based. The relevant tax years are the last two complete tax years before the benefit year—starting in January—in which the claim is made.

However, the linking provisions have been amended under jobseeker's allowance to provide extra help for carers. For the first time, periods in receipt of invalid care allowance are included in the jobseeker's allowance linking provisions. This ensures that a person's benefit position at the end of a period of invalid care allowance will be the same as when it started. Therefore, if a person's contribution record immediately prior to a period in receipt of invalid care allowance is sufficient to qualify the individual for contribution-based jobseeker's allowance, that record will apply to any claim for jobseeker's allowance which is made when invalid care allowance ceases.