§ 37. Mr. Ness Edwardsasked the Minister of Health when will winter additions begin to operate in the calculation of supplementary pensions; and whether he will indicate the classes of cases to which ft will apply?
§ The Minister of Health (Mr. Ernest Brown)Winter allowances are being granted for a period of 26 weeks from the beginning of November. In general this allowance will be given in the case of a pensioner providing his own fuel, when the pensioner or his wife have no resources apart from the basic and supplementary pensions, and also when they have resources amounting to less than 5s. a week which are not taken into account in assessing the amount of the supplementary pension. Moreover, in cases not falling within this description the winter allowance will be granted if there are special circumstances which make it reasonably necessary.
§ Mr. EdwardsAre we to understand that a pensioner with resources more than 5s. which, by Statute, should be ignored, will find, despite that statutory provision, that it will be taken into account?
§ Mr. BrownI did not mean that at all. I think the hon. Member will find if he looks at the answer that they fall strictly within the Regulations.