§ 25. Mr. Hunterasked the Minister of Health whether he has yet considered the letter sent to him by the Urban District Council of Feltham, drawing attention to the fact that old-age pensioners, despite the fact they may be able to obtain a refund of prescription charges, may not be able to afford to make this payment before the refund, and that this causes hardship; and what action he proposes to take.
§ Mr. VosperYes, Sir. It is already the practice of the National Assistance Board to consider sympathetically an application for an advance for the purpose of paying a particular charge from anyone already in receipt of a National Assistance allowance or to whom the payment of the charge would cause hardship by National Assistance standards.
§ Mr. HunterArising out of that reply, may I ask the Minister if that is clear to old-age pensioners? When an old-age pensioner receives a prescription costing 12s. he may not have the money to pay for it at the time. Would the Minister consider a scheme under which the doctor could send a coloured prescription form to the National Assistance Board which could pay the money direct?
§ Mr. VosperI am glad to have this opportunity of putting on record that advance payments can be considered by the National Assistance Board. So far as the payment of 12s. is concerned, if it is a repeated payment, I should particularly like to look at that individual case.