Unemployment Lists

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30454, 30 May 1964, Page 12

Unemployment Lists

Sir, —The question asked in your Saturday edition under the above heading by “Disillusioned Nationalist” was only partially answered. From his letter and from other sources I understand that people who are unemployed have to wait in the cold in a draughty corridor for half an hour outside the Social Security office in order to draw their benefit on Monday morning. Some of them have recently been ill, some are elderly, and some physically handicapped. Is it not possible for the authorities responsible to make some more efficient arrangement whereby those concerned can at least wait in a warm room if waiting is really necessary? For the elderly or handicapped people would it be possible to arrange that they could contact the office through the ’phone or by mail, at least during the winter months? I feel sure that the Labour Department and the Social Security office will want to co-operate in this matter even if only by opening the large door in the Social Security Building earlier to allow access to the large room, or by putting the time for reporting to the Labour Department later by half an hour.—Yours, etc., HOUSEWIFE. May 25, 1964.

[The district superintendent of the Department of Labour (Mr C. P. Collins) replies: “I wall discuss the position with the registrar of the Social Security Department. It may be possible to do something to alleviate the conditions mentioned in the letter, although there are some administrative difficulties.”]