§ Mr. STEPHEN GWYNNasked the Secretary to the Treasury what is the present procedure in respect of disputed claims to old age pensions in Ireland; whether, upon an inspector's notice of objection to a grant by the local committee, the pension is stopped pending the Local Government Board's decision; if so, what authority is quoted to justify the stoppage; and whether, when a pension has been stopped and the Local Government Board has subsequently reaffirmed the local committee's decision, the payments stopped are refunded at once and in full, or whether repayment is made by instalments?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Hobhouse)In cases in which the allowance of a claim by a Pension Committee is made the subject of appeal, there can, under Section 7 (1) (c) of the Old Age Pensions Act, be no operative grant of a pension until the appeal has been decided by the Central Pension Authority. In these cases, therefore, pension order books are not delivered to claimants until a decision by the Central Authority is arrived at. When, as is usually the case, the Local Government Board make their award operative as from the date of the original allowance by the committee, the pension officer then delivers to the pensioner a book of orders dated back to the first Friday after the date of the committee's decision.
§ Mr. STEPHEN GWYNNWhat is the procedure in regard to pensions under appeal while being paid?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEIt is rather a technical subject, and I shall be glad if the hon. Gentleman will put his question on the Paper. I do not like to give an answer off-hand.