War Disablement Pensioners (Hansard, 11 November 1957)

§ 3. Mr. Simmons
asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance to state the weekly amount now payable to a 100 per cent. disabled ex-private who is unmarried and who qualifies for an unemployability supplement and constant 583 attendance, comforts and age allowances, and the weekly amount payable to a 90 per cent. disabled ex-private, unmarried, who receives no supplementary allowances; and whether he will consider narrowing this gap by further extensions of the age and comforts allowance to aid the oldest and worst disabled of those who at present narrowly fail to qualify for such aid.

§ Mr. Boyd-Carpenter
A war disablement pensioner whose circumstances are as described in the earlier part of the hon. Member's Question, and who is drawing constant attendance allowance at the "normal" maximum rate of 30s., at present receives £8 17s. 6d. a week. This will become £10 10s. at the end of January. A war disablement pensioner assessed at 90 per cent. receives £3 0s. 9d. a week by way of basic pension, which will be £3 16s. 6d. at the end of January. He is eligible to qualify for unemployability supplement, now being raised from 45s. to 55s. a week, and for the 10s. comforts allowance which goes with it on the same basis as the 100 per cent. disabled man, and also for an age allowance of 10s. at the same age. I do not, at present, propose any further improvements in war pensions to those which I announced last week.

§ Mr. Simmons
Would the Minister consider an adjustment of war pensions so that the gap between the 90 per cent. pensioner and the 100 per cent. pensioner is narrowed? Is he not aware that the 90 per cent. pensioner is in a bad way and that the gap between the 90 per cent. and the 100 per cent. pensioner is too large at the present time?

§ Mr. Boyd-Carpenter
When the hon. Gentleman considers the rather long answer I have just read out, I think he will be reassured to some extent, at any rate as to the width of the gap. I certainly have well in mind the point that he has made.

§ 4. Mr. Simmons
asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the numbers of war pensioners, 80 per cent. or more disabled, who died during each of the past five years, and the numbers of war widows' pensions awarded each year in respect of those deaths.

§ Mr. Boyd-Carpenter
The number of war disablement pensioners with assess- 584 ments of 80 per cent. or more who died in 1953 to 1956 totalled 2,758, 2,642, 2,534 and 2,335, respectively, and in the first nine months of this year the number was 1,711. I am afraid that I have no figures relating the awards of war widows' pension to these deaths.

§ 5. Mr. Simmons
asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will state the maximum pension and allowances payable to widows with one child of an ex-private war disabled pensioner, and the maximum amount payable to such widows when the child reaches the age at which a child's allowance ceases; and whether he will give immediate and sympathetic consideration to the introduction of a rent allowance for the older war widows who may be infirm or incapacitated and who cannot supplement their pensions by working.

§ Mr. Boyd-Carpenter
The present figures are 94s. and 52s. 6d. a week, respectively. As the hon. Member will be aware from my statement of 6th November, these figures are being increased as from the end of January to 116s. and 66s. a week. I think that this is a better method of dealing with the problem than that suggested by the hon. Member.

§ Mr. Simmons
But will not the Minister agree that that does not deal with the older war widows who are incapacitated and unable to work? Will he not give another look at the question of a rent allowance for these older ladies?

§ Mr. Boyd-Carpenter
The purpose of the increases which I announced last week is to provide some measure of increase for all qualified war widows. I really think that that, at the present moment, designed to benefit them all, is really better than some rather special allowance such as the hon. Gentleman suggests. For the time being at any rate, I think that this is the right approach.

§ Sir J. Smyth
As the very substantial increases in war pensions which were announced last week are not debatable in this House, would my right hon. Friend consider suggesting to the Leader of the House that we should have a general debate on war pensions? We have not had one for a long time, and I suggest that it should be a debate which should cover not only matters which are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend, but 585 also matters concerning the welfare and health services which are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health.

§ Mr. Boyd-Carpenter
I should be perfectly happy to debate these matters if an opportunity arose. As my hon. and gallant Friend knows, questions as to use of Parliamentary time are for my right hon. Friend rather than for me; or, of course, there is the possibility to which the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Middlesbrough, East (Mr. Marquand) re-referred last week, of the Opposition perhaps wishing to use some of its time.

§ Mr. Marquand
Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that, so to speak, we have not got any time for some months to come yet?

§ Mr. Boyd-Carpenter
I am interested to hear that the right hon. Gentleman is going to have so busy a time.