HC Deb 16 October 1940 vol 365 cc698-700
39. Mr. E. Smith

asked the Minister of Health on what date it is intended to increase the supplementary pensions in order to include an additional amount for the winter; and by what amount it is proposed to increase the supplementary payment?

Miss Horsbrugh

The Assistance Board inform me that they have decided to exercise their powers under Regulation IV 4 of the Supplementary Pensions Regulations and to make temporary additions in appropriate cases to supplementary pensions payable in the calendar week beginning 4th November, 1940, until and including the week beginning 31st March, that is, for a period of 22 weeks. Every case will be looked at and each case dealt with on its merits. Officers will pay particular attention to cases where the pensioner (including in appropriate cases single persons providing their own fuel and light) has only his old age and supplementary pensions for the support of himself and his dependants, and also, where the pensioner is a member of a household with other persons not dependent on him, to cases where not less than one-half of the total income of the household is represented by the main and supplementary pensions. Where the officer decides that an adjustment is required, it is anticipated that an addition of 1s. in the case of a single applicant or 2s. in the case of a household of normal size and composition will meet requirements, but these amounts may be increased in the light of the circumstances of particular cases.

Mr. Smith

This is a good reply, but will the hon. Lady take steps to see that the Assistance Board officers administer this Act, and the terms of this reply, in a more generous way than has been the case up to the present.

Mr. Ness Edwards

Does the hon. Lady recognise that, by making the winter addition applicable only in cases in which more than half of the income in the household comes from the Assistance Board, she is again inflicting a further hardship by applying another means test to the people in the household?

Miss Horsbrugh

If the hon. Member will read the answer—which, although the hon. Member for Stoke (Mr. E. Smith) said it is satisfactory, I am afraid is very long—he will see that this matter has been dealt with, but I think he will agree that at any rate the scale is meant to be generous and to take into account the exceptions which occur.

Mr. Ness Edwards

The hon. Lady has said that the winter addition is applicable only in those cases where more than half the income of the household comes from the Assistance Board, and surely that is not satisfactory, because in that case the smallest amount of income is taken as the basis for excluding the winter addition?

Mr. T. Smith

Is the hon. Lady aware that a good many old age pensioners are complaining about the manner in which they are being asked questions by the officers, and will she advise those officers to be more generous in the way in which they deal with these people?

Miss Horsbrugh

I entirely agree with the hon. Member that we do not want these old people to be asked questions which are embarrassing, but if you want to be generous and give more in the cases that need more, then, you very often have to ask questions. It is a very difficult problem.

Mr. Bevan

Will the hon. Lady take the opportunity of meeting hon. Members and explaining the implications of the reply to this Question, because it is extremely ambiguous and gives rise to grave fears?

Miss Horsbrugh

I shall be very willing to do so. The difficulty is to make a statement at Question Time sufficiently full to give an outline without being able to discuss it with hon. Members, though, I think, if they read the answer, they will regard it as more satisfactory than appears from my reading of at.