Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit – 12 March 1987

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit on 12th March 1987.

Mr. Corbett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether those Commonwealth citizens required to register citizenship under the Nationality Act 1981 by 31 December who are in receipt of supplementary benefit can be given a single payment to cover the £60 registration fee.

Mr. Major There is no provision in the supplementary benefit regulations for single payments to be made for Home Office citizenship fees. Supplementary benefit is intended to cover necessary living expenses, not the cost of acquiring the rights of citizenship.

Mr. Frank Field Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will make a statement on changes to regulations in the position of young people leaving school at Easter who claim supplementary benefit;
(2) when he will publish new regulations governing the position of young people leaving school this Easter who wish to claim supplementary benefit.

Mr. Major I have considered the report of the Social Security Advisory Committee on the Government’s proposals for regulations to restore our policy that young people who are entered for examinations when they leave school should be treated as remaining in relevant education until they have completed those examinations. I expect to lay regulations before the House very shortly.