§ 72. Mr. G. LOCKER-LAMPSONasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether persons retiring from their employment on Pension after the age of sixty-five, after contributing regularly for twenty years, would be entitled, under the arrear regulations, to over twelve months' 584 more insurance free; and, if so, seeing that it is impossible for societies at once to decide that such persons have permanently ceased to be employed, as they may do some little work at any time, he will take steps to secure that such persons shall receive sick or disablement benefits if their societies refuse to give them benefits?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI am advised that if persons retiring from their original employment on pension intend to seek other employment, they would be entitled to continue to be employed contributors. If, in fact, they remain unemployed beyond twelve months, they can continue as employed contributors if their society is satisfied that their unemployment is due to inability to obtain employment, and is not due to their ceasing permanently to be employed. In the meantime their benefits would be subject to the provisions of Section 10 of the Act as to arrears, but no arrears accrue in respect of employed contributors during the first year of the Act's operation, and they would in no case be completely suspended from all benefits for the year in question. I assume that the hon. Member refers to twenty years' contributions in respect of the pensions and not under the Act, as in the latter case the question would not become a practical one till 1932, that is subsequent to the extension of benefits which will follow the redemption of the reserve value.