§ Mr. LUNDONasked whether, in view of the difference in the administration of the Old Age Pension Act in Great Britain as compared with Ireland, any special instructions were issued to pension officers in Ireland; and, if so, will the same be laid upon the Table of the House, and thus afford an opportunity to Members of seeing how and by what means the annual income of applicants for pensions in Ireland has been ascertained?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEI cannot admit that there is any difference of principle in the administration of the Old Age Pensions Act in Ireland as compared with Great Britain. General instructions, in reference to the method of estimating means, were issued directing pension officers in all cases to estimate means derived from the occupation of land in Ireland on the same basis as that followed in other parts of the United Kingdom, namely, by reference to the actual stock and crops.
§ Mr. FLAVINWould the right hon. Gentleman say what occupation value is placed upon a single room in a house where the value of the whole premises is only 30s.?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEI must have notice of that question.
§ Mr. LUNDONIf it is true as the right hon. Gentleman has stated, that there is no difference of principle in the administration of the Old Age Pensions Act in 1345 Ireland as compared with Great Britain, how is it possible that a man with fifteen or sixteen acres in England can obtain a pension, while a man with ten or twelve acres in Ireland cannot?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThere may be a difference in the value.
§ Mr. FLAVINIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that an occupation rent of 1s. per week is charged on the room of a house when no rent is charged on the whole house?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEI am afraid I cannot answer that question.
§ Mr. LUNDONasked the President of the Local Government Board whether payment of pensions has been sanctioned to people who had, previous to their application for pension, held forty, and in some cases fifty, acres of land; has the Local Government Board received appeals from the pension officers against the granting of pensions in such cases by the local pension committees; and, in view of such, as stated above, being the case, by what means is the annual income of applicants arrived at?
§ Mr. LUNDONalso asked whether appeals have been received against the granting of pensions to applicants who have an annual income of only £10 per year and the use of a room; and, if so, have the appeals been upheld; and why applicants whose sole income is the amount stated in the question should be deprived of the benefit of the Act?
§ The PRESIDENT of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Burns)The particulars given are not sufficient to enable me to trace the individual cases to which no doubt the hon. Member refers. I can only say generally that every endeavour is made to arrive at a fair estimate of the means of the claimants as they are required to be calculated for the purposes of the Old Age Pensions Act.
§ Mr. LUNDONasked what evidence of age is sufficient to enable an applicant for an old age pension to become eligible under the Act when no record of the same can be found in the census returns and no baptismal certificate can be produced?
§ Mr. BURNSIn the absence of documentary evidence of age the Board are willing to give consideration to any other kind of evidence which may be adduced.