Social Security Benefits

Mr. Graham Stuart
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's policy is on paying (a) social security benefits and (b) job seeker's allowance to people who live with a partner who works more than 24 hours per week; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Plaskitt
Income support and income-based jobseeker's allowance are non-contributory benefits. The full basis for entitlement is set out in regulations. The principal rule in relation to remunerative work is that, where the claimant works 16 hours or more a week or the claimant's partner works 24 hours or more  a week the claimant does not satisfy the conditions of entitlement. For those cases where the couple is obliged to make a joint claim for JSA, the 16-hour rule applies to both partners because both are claimants.

In cases other than joint claim JSA cases, where the claimant's partner is working between 16 and 24 hours a week, it may be possible for the couple to claim both working tax credit and either income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance. In such cases, there is an automatic entitlement to maximum working tax credit, but the claimant's entitlement to income support and income-based jobseeker's allowance will be reduced pound for pound by the working tax credit that is paid.

Mr. Graham Stuart
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's policy is on paying (a) social security benefits and (b) job seeker's allowance to people who live with a parent who works more than 24 hours per week; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Plaskitt
Both Income Support and income-based jobseeker's allowance are available to those who satisfy the qualifying criteria. The fact that a non-dependent young person may choose to continue to live in their parents' household does not in any way affect their entitlement to these benefits.