102. Mr. CHANCELLORasked the Comptroller of the Household, as representing the National Health Insurance Commissioners, if he is aware that hardship is inflicted on insured persons reaching the age of seventy because, owing to employers requiring production of their insurance card, they lose their employment or are obliged to continue paying 4d. per week, although deprived of the sickness and disablement benefit which that payment is intended to secure; whether, under these circumstances, the Commissioners will refund all such payments; and whether he will introduce legislation to secure to such persons the option to defer claiming their old age pension whilst able to keep their employment, and to continue their insurance with its benefits until such time as they may make such claim, the pension to become payable only from that date?
Mr. ROBERTSOccasional complaints have been received that insured persons on reaching the age of seventy have lost their employment in consequence of their age having been revealed to their employers through their failure to produce an insurance card. There is, however, no evidence that cases of this kind are of frequent occurrence or that the difficulty is sufficiently serious to justify a revision of the actuarial basis of the Insurance Acts such as would be necessary to carry out my hon. Friend's suggestion. Contributions erroneously paid in respect of persons over seventy will be refunded if the card is produced.