14 benefits claims exempt from residence conditions in past year

14 people have been allowed to claim benefits on the Island in the past year, despite not living here long enough.

That's according to Treasury Minister Alex Allinson, who faced a question for written response from Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper about exemptions from residence conditions.

Normally, people can't claim benefits unless they were born here, have lived here continuously for five years or for three periods totalling ten years.

Dr Allinson said since June last year, those conditions had been set aside 14 times by adjudication officers who felt denying claims would be too harsh.