§ Mr. MULDOONasked the Secretary to the Treasury, whether it is the practice, when a pension committee grants an old age pension and an appeal is lodged by the pension officer, that payment of the pension is suspended; and, if so, by what authority, and under what power, and by whom is the payment of the pension so suspended?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEUnder Section 7 (1) (c) of the old Age Pensions Act, the effect of an appeal being made is to render inoperative the decision appealed against and to transfer the duty of determining the claim or question to the central pension authority. There is thus in such circumstances no operative allowance of the claim until it has been allowed by the central pension authority, and under Section 5 (2) of the Act the pension does not commence to accrue until the first Friday following such allowance.
§ Mr. MULDOONWill the right hon. Gentleman answer the other part of my question, and state whether this is done by the pension officer, the Treasury, or either, or both?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEAs I have already stated, there being no pension it cannot be suspended. A pension is inoperative until the claim has been allowed by the central pension authority.