§ 5. Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEasked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that in the case of Mrs. Sutton, 7/DP/2816, of Northumberland Street, Leicester, the need pension of £1 a week was reduced by 10s. a week, owing to the fact that she made application for the widow's pension of 10s. under the Widows and Orphans Act, and prior to any such pension having been received by her; whether Mrs. Sutton is yet in receipt of of the full £1 from the two sources combined; and whether he will give instructions that in future in such cases the pensions from his Department, shall not be discontinued or reduced until pensions under the Widows and Orphans Act are actually issued?
§ Major TRYONUnder the arrangements between my Department and the Ministry of Health any adjustment required to be made in the amount of the need pension in issue is made, not merely upon the application by the beneficiary for a widow's pension under the Act, but on the notification to my Department that a widow's pension has been authorised. In the case of Mrs. Sutton, the 285 beneficiary was, I find, authorised to draw the amount due to her from the Ministry of Health in the same week, and in fact within three days of the modified award being paid to her by my Department, The arrangements made between the Departments are designed to secure to the utmost extent possible the concurrent payment of amounts due from each Department after any necessary adjustment has been made. They have, of course, only been in operation for a comparatively short time, and experience of their working will be necessary before it can be seen whether any modification is called for.