§ 62. Sir JOHN BUTCHERasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the hardship inflicted on old age pensioners by being obliged to include in their income, for the purpose of assessing their pension, all purely voluntary allowances and gifts; and whether he will introduce legislation to remove this hardship?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe Old Age Pensions Committee of last year were of opinion that it was impossible to differentiate equitably between the various kinds of means possessed by Old Age Pensioners. No such differentiation was accordingly attempted in the Act passed 1234 in December last, and I am not now prepared to re-open the settlement then made, which itself added £10,000,000 to the annual charge on the taxpayer.