§ Mr. EDWARD WOODasked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention had been drawn to the case of Diana Verrill, aged seventy-four, of Burton Leonard, near Leeds, whose claim to an old age pension was disallowed by the local pension authority of Knaresborough, on 16th November, 1908, on the statutory ground that she had in the last twenty years resided outside the United Kingdom, namely, in Canada; and whether, in view of the hardship inflicted upon thoroughly deserving claimants by this provision of the Act, he will consider the desirability of introducing legislation to amend it?
§ Mr. BURNSMy attention has not been called to this particular case. I understand, however, that the desirability of amending the existing requirements of the Act as to residence in the United Kingdom 187 is one of the questions which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has at present under consideration.
§ Mr. KEIR HARDIEasked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been drawn to a resolution passed by the Merthyr Tydfil Board of Guardians declaring its opinion that all legal disabilities suffered by the recipients of Poor Law relief should be removed; and whether he intends taking any action in connection therewith?
§ Mr. BURNSI have received the resolution referred to by the hon. Member. Legislation would be necessary to remove the disabilities in question, and I am not in a position to promise legislation on the subject.
§ Mr. KEIR HARDIEIs the Department in favour of this change if a favourable opportunity offer?
§ Mr. BURNSI am not in a position to add anything further to the answer I have given to the question on the Paper.
§ Mr. KEIR HARDIEasked whether the old age pension regulations provide that the pension shall only date from the decision of the pension committee to grant the same; whether this frequently means a considerable delay in granting the pension; and whether the regulations will be so amended as to provide that the pension, when the claim has been substantiated, shall be paid as from the date of application?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEUnder Section 5 (2) of the Old Age Pensions Act a pension cannot commence to accrue until the first Friday after the claim for the pension has been allowed. I have no power, therefore, to prescribe that pensions shall be paid as from the date of application.
§ Mr. MEAGHERasked whether the Local Government Board for Ireland has received from each board of guardians in Ireland a return showing the numbers of people in receipt of relief whose ages on 1st January last were seventy years or over as recorded in the union books, and the total cost of outdoor relief in each union as given by the guardians; and whether, for the purpose of expediting the work of the pension committees, the ages of these people, as recorded in the union books, will be accepted as evidence by the pension officer when their claims for a pension will be forwarded to him?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board have received the return referred to. Proof of age is not required for the purposes of the Union records, and an entry therein could not therefore be taken as conclusive evidence of age for the purposes of the Old Age Pensions Act.