§ 108. Major Sir EDWARD COATESasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the additional amount of 2s. 6d. a week to be paid to old age pensioners under certain conditions is now being paid; and, if not, can he state the date when such payments will be made?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. McKinnon Wood)As I stated in answer to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for North-East Bethnal Green, on the 23rd instant, in cases where additional allowances have already been granted payments are now being made. Over half a million pensioners have already applied for allowances, and some time must necessarily elapse before the pension authorities can 175 decide the whole of them. But this will not affect the date from which the allowances, where granted, will be payable.
§ Major Sir E. COATESIs the right hon. Gentleman aware feat meanwhile the old age pensioner is almost starving?
§ Mr. McKINNON WOODI would remind my hon. and gallant Friend that 500,000 applications must take a little time.
§ Colonel Sir CHARLES SEELYWill the right hon. Gentleman consider the desirability of giving the old age pensioners a definite allowance for two or three months of the winter, during which they are suffering special hardship, and during the time these numerous applications are being considered?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member must give notice of that question.