§ 58. Mr. Tinkerasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the annual cost would be to increase the supplementary old age pension to £2 5s. a week in place of £1 15s. a week for man and wife; and to increase the single allowance to £1 5s. a week in place of £1 a week.
§ Sir J. AndersonMy hon. Friend no doubt realises that many supplementary pensioners are already in receipt of more than 45s. if married and 25s. if single, because the basic scales he mentions are for needs other than rent, for which an additional allowance is paid. The cost of increasing the scales by 5s. for a single person and by 10s. for a married couple would be about £21,000,000 a year for existing supplementary pensions, but it is not possible to estimate the total cost as an unknown number of additional pensioners would then become eligible for supplementary pensions.
§ Mr. TinkerIs the Chancellor aware that the scales laid down in 1935 are causing grave hardship, and that the time has come when they should be given some consideration?
§ Sir J. AndersonThat is another question.