HC Deb 29 July 1914 vol 65 cc1317-8
22. Mr. WORTHINGTON EVANS

asked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East whether the attention of the Insurance Commissioners has been directed to the case of a farm labourer, a deposit contributor in the jurisdiction of the Newent District Committee, who fell ill in February last, having £2 0s. 5d. to his credit; whether, on application for two weeks' benefit at 10s., he was sent a postal order for 17s. 2d. only; whether he is aware that the man died on 5th March, leaving a wife and seven children, and that on 2nd May the postman delivered seven separate envelopes directed to the widow and six of the seven children each containing two circulars and two postal orders, those for the widow being for 3s. 10d. and 2s. 2d., and for each of the six children 1s. 3d. and 9d., a total of 18s.; whether it is intended to pay over, and to whom, the remaining 5s. 3d.; what payment will be made to the seventh child; and whether the normal procedure has been followed in this case?

Mr. BENN

The case to which the hon. Member refers is probably one in which a contributor who died on 5th March, 1914, had a balance of £1 13s. 9d. standing to his credit at the date of his sickness in February, 1914. The insurance committee certified for payment of sickness benefit for twelve days, and a sum of 17s. 2d. was accordingly sent to the contributor. After his death the committee certified for a further payment of sickness benefit for eight days to the date of death. The usual inquiries were made by the committee, and on their certificate supporting a claim on behalf of the widow and six children the Insurance Commissioners paid over the amount of the outstanding sickness benefit together with the statutory proportion of four-sevenths of the balance remaining in the account.

Mr. WORTHINGTON EVANS

Is it the case that fourteen postal orders of small amounts from 9d. to 3s. 10d. were sent to the widow and six children, and, if that is so, why was the seventh child not allowed to receive anything?

Mr. BENN

I do not know about the seventh child. As regards the other children, they are each paid a fair proportion of the sum belonging to the deceased person.

Mr. WORTHINGTON EVANS

Will the hon. Gentleman make inquiries about the seventh child?

Mr. BENN

Yes, I will. I fancy a mistake was made about that child.