Written question asked by Marsha Singh (Labour) on Tuesday, 12 December 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 13 December 2000. It was answered by Hugh Bayley (Labour) on Wednesday, 13 December 2000 on behalf of the Department of Social Security.

Dept of Social Security

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how the Social Security (Immigration and Asylum) Consequential Amendments Regulations 2000 affect access to benefits for sponsored immigrants whose sponsors have died.

Answer: Mr. Singh: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how the Social Security (Immigration and Asylum) Consequential Amendments Regulations 2000 affect access to benefits for sponsored immigrants whose sponsors have died. [142858] Mr. Bayley: There is no change to the policy that access to benefits should be available to a sponsored person where the person who undertook to support him has died. A technical defect in the amendments made by the Social Security (Immigration and Asylum) Consequential Amendments Regulations 2000 places an unintended restriction of six weeks on the period for which Income Support is available. We intend to bring forward amending regulations to correct the defect. In the meantime, extra-statutory payments will be made to any affected cases that do arise to ensure that the policy intention is met.

Secondary information