§ 7. Mr. P. MEEHANasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he is aware that many aged persons in receipt of old age pensions in Ireland who were compelled by illness and decrepitude to seek treatment in union infirmaries and hospitals have been deprived of their pensions on this account by the pension officers; and whether he intends to take any action in the matter?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. McKinnon Wood)I would remind the hon. Member that Section 3 (1) (a) of the Old Age Pensions Act, 1908, declares the receipt of Poor Law relief (other than relief excepted under that Section) to be a disqualification for the receipt of a pension. The pension officers have no power to deprive any old age pensioners of their pensions in consequence of the receipt of Poor Law relief. What the pension officers do in any case where a pensioner receives Poor Law relief of a kind apparently involving disqualification for a pension is to bring the 373 matter before the local Pension Committee or Sub-Committee, and it is for them to determine whether the pension should be revoked, subject to a right of appeal to the Local Government Board on the part either of the officer or the pensioner.
§ 13. Mr. BYRNEasked the Chief Secretary if he will explain the delay in paying to old age pensioners the extra 2s. 6d. granted by the Government; and if he will say when the claimants in Ireland are likely to be paid?
§ Mr. McKINNON WOODI am not aware that there has been any undue delay in dealing with applications by old age pensioners for the grant of additional allowances. Over half a million pensioners have already applied for allowances, and some time must necessarily elapse before the pension authorities can decide the whole of the application. This will not, however, affect the date from which the allowances, where granted, will be payable, such date being governed by the date when the application was preferred.