§ 96. Mr. ATKEYasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether it is in accordance with the law for an old age pensioner of 80 years to be deprived of his pension by reason of his wife obtaining employment; whether the wife of an old age pensioner should be fined to the extent of her husband's pension, thereby in effect reducing her own earnings by that amount; and whether he would recommence payment of the husband's pension if he left his wife?
§ Mr. BALDWIN (Joint Financial secretary to the Treasury)I cannot express an opinion as to the application of the provisions of the Old Age Pensions Act to an individual case without knowing the particulars of the means, etc. But if the hon. Member has a particular case in mind and will furnish me with the pensioner's name and address I will have inquiry made. I may, however, state generally, that Section 2 (2) of the Old Age Pensions Act, 1911, provides that "In calculating the means of a person being one of a married couple living together in the same house, the means shall be taken to be half the total means of the couple."