§ 61. Mr. SMEDLEY CROOKEasked the Minister of Pensions whether his attention has been drawn to the case of Mrs. Lilian Eliza Bennett, who in 1919 was granted a dependant's pension in respect of the loss of her son, Private Edwin Skidmore Bennett, Coldstream Guards, with a view to granting arrears of pension from 1922, from which date until quite recently the mother did not draw her pension because of severe mental illness; and, as this is a clear case where entitlement to pension has been established and neglect to draw the money has been entirely due to the ill-health of the parent brought about by the shock of the loss of her son, will he take steps to have the amount restored to her that she should have drawn?
§ The MINISTER of PENSIONS (Major Tryon)Pension in this case has been put in issue from the date (5th April last) on which application was made to my Department. I regret that I should have no authority to ante-date payment for the 12 years since the original award ceased, during which no steps were taken by or on behalf of the pensioner either to satisfy the statutory requirements for payment of the pension or to secure its renewal.