§ 60. Mr. PIKEasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury why he has issued instructions to local authorities to stop the payment of pensions to all pensioners detained in hospitals through illness for a period of 13 weeks and over; and into what fund the retained moneys are placed?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHANo such instructions have been issued. The law requires 691 that if a person in receipt of a noncontributory old age pension is admitted to hospital, the cost of his maintenance therein must be included in his means for pension purposes. Consequently, if his means are thereby increased beyond the statutory limit for the receipt of the pension, a question for the revocation of the pension is raised with the local pension committee and, if the question is allowed, the pension is revoked and ceases to be a charge on the Exchequer. It is, however, the practice not to raise any question of the pensioner's means in cases where he is admitted to hospital until a. period of three months has elapsed.