§ Mr. LEIF JONESasked the President of the Local Government Board, whether he could give to the House figures showing the number of men and women in receipt of relief in England and Wales on the 31st December, 1910, who have obtained old age pensions?
§ Mr. BURNSI have obtained from Boards of Guardians particulars of this character, showing the number of cases in which pensions were received during the first four weeks of this year. The particulars will be circulated as a Parliamentary Paper.
§ Mr. LEIF JONESCould the right hon. Gentleman at the same time show by that circular what is the present amount by which the local rates have been relieved by these old age pensions?
§ Mr. BURNSIt would be very difficult at this stage to do so. I will make a note of my hon. Friend's request, and if possible will give effect to it.
§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the Secretary to the Treasury if he would state on what grounds an old age pension had been refused to Martha Jane Niemeyer, of Blackburn, an Englishwoman, who has never been out of the country?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHI understand that Mrs. Niemeyer's claim to a pension was disallowed by the Local Government Board on the ground that she is not a British subject, having married a German who did not take out a certificate of naturalisation.
§ Mr. SNOWDENDid the information sent to the Treasury by the local pension committee mention the fact that the husband of this woman had lived in England practically all his life, and had been in business at Blackburn for thirty years, and that the widow for the last thirty years had been supporting herself?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHI cannot say that
§ Mr. COOPERasked the Secretary to the Treasury (1) if he is aware that several old age pensioners are inmates of Walsall workhouse, and are agreeable to hand over their weekly pensions to the guardians as repayment towards the cost of their maintenance in the hope that by so doing they would not be disqualified, and be in a position to pick up their pension as usual on their discharge; and will he give instructions that in such cases pensioners should not be disqualified; and (2) if he will give instructions for the restoration of the pensions and books of two old age pensioners, Mary Ann Evans and Henry Lord, now inmates of the Walsall workhouse, who have been disqualified on account of being transferred from the infirmary to the workhouse, after voluntarily paying their weekly pension of 5s. over to the guardians during the time they were in the infirmary?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHThe general question of the procedure to be followed in dealing with pensioners who accept, and then relinquish, poor relief is now engaging my attention. As soon as a decision is arrived at my right hon. Friend will specially consider the two cases mentioned by the hon. Member and will communicate with him on the subject. In the meantime he would suggest that Mary Ann Evans should at once prefer a fresh claim to a pension, if she has not already done so. He understands that Lord has already made a fresh claim, which will be considered by the local pension committee at their next meeting.
§ Mr. COOPERWill these people be liable to lose any portion of their pensions for the interval before making their fresh application?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHThat will have to be considered.
§ Mr. DAWESasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the pension officers have instructions to withhold a renewed pension book from a pensioner because they propose raising a question as to the withdrawal of the pension at a meeting of the pension committee to be held at some subsequent date; and, if such is the case, whether he will cancel such instructions, in view of the possibility of a pensioner in such a case becoming, through the nonpayment of the pension, compulsorily chargeable on the rates at a cost to the ratepayers much in excess of the pension?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHThe Commissioners of Customs and Excise are authorised by the Treasury to give instructions for summary stoppage of a pension in cases where there is conclusive evidence that the pensioner has become disqualified. These instructions are regarded as being in the interest of the pensioner himself, who would otherwise be liable to refund any pension drawn while he was disqualified. I see no reason for altering this practice, which does not, however, apply in the particular case to which the hon. Member has drawn my attention.
§ Mr. SNOWDENIs a pension officer authorised without first of all communicating with the Commissioners of Customs and Excise to stop or take back a pension?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHI would ask for notice of that.
§ Mr. DAWESasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention had been called to the case of Sidney Brown, aged seventy-seven years, of Rowton House, Newington Butts, a person to whom an old age pension of 5s. was granted by the London Pension Sub-Committee K, on 21st January, 1910, and the renewal of whose book has been refused by the Inland Revenue on the ground that the pensioner was an inmate of the Newington infirmary for 265 days during the past twelve months, at a cost estimated by the pension officer at £39 18s., and is consequently disqualified, though in receipt of medical Poor Law relief, because his means are in excess of £31 10s. per annum; whether he is aware that the pension has not been revoked or the question even considered by the sub-committee concerned, and whether he will give instructions for the new pension book to be at once issued to the pensioner, and the pension paid until the sub-committee has determined the question?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHMy right hon. Friend's attention has been called to this case, and he has given instructions for immediate restoration of the pension with arrears.