§ 42. Mr. JACOBSENasked the President of the Local Government Board if he is aware that hardship is caused from the fact that many eligible applicants for old age pensions, although making their 320 applications in proper time, are, owing to the interval between the date of application and the committee's decision, deprived of their pension for some weeks after reaching the statutory age; and whether he will provide that eligible applicants who make their application within a specified time of reaching the age of seventy will be paid the pension awarded as from the attainment of their seventieth birthday?
§ Mr. BALDWINA claim may by law be preferred at any time within four months in advance of the date of fulfilling the statutory conditions. If the hon. Member is aware of any case in which a claimant has preferred a claim four months in advance of the date of fulfilling the statutory conditions, and yet has not obtained payment of the pension as from that date, I should be glad if he would furnish me with the particulars, so that I may have inquiry made into the matter.
§ 43. Mr. JACOBSENasked the President of the Local Government Board if he is aware that cases occur where old age pensioners whose income becomes increased so that the pensions are liable to revision and reduction have their pensions reduced by amounts larger than the amounts by which their income has been increased; and whether he will provide that where pensions are reduced on account of increase of income the reduction shall not exceed the amount by which the income has been increased so that no reduction in the total income is incurred?
§ Mr. BALDWINIt is the fact that in exceptional cases an increase in a pensioner's means may result in a decrease of his pension by an amount slightly larger than the increase, but in no circumstances could the difference amount to 1s. a week. I regret that I cannot undertake to initiate legislation in the direction suggested by the hon. Member.