§ 58. Mr. A. V. ALEXANDERasked the Minister of Health whether he will give special consideration to the claim for old age pension made by Mr. F. Higgins, of 102, Fern Road, Sheffield, in view of the fact that he has paid contributions from early in 1927 until July, 1935, when he became 65 years of age, and that the actual date of his re-entry into insurance as a voluntary contributor was a month late through no fault of Mr. Higgins, but owing to an alleged delay on the part of his approved society, and that the contributions actually paid by Mr. Higgins were accepted by the approved society and the National Health Insurance Department?
§ Sir K. WOODThe right hon. Member is under a misapprehension. The time for making application to become a voluntary contributor had expired long before any question of insurance was raised by or on behalf of Mr. Higgins. Mr. Higgins was accepted by the approved society as a member who was compulsorily insurable on the strength of a statement in the application form that he was in employment, but his only employment was employment by his wife in respect of which he was neither required nor entitled to be insured. The contributions erroneously paid will be repaid to Mr. Higgins subject to a deduction in respect of expenses necessarily incurred in connection with his health insurance.