§ 26. Mr. Rossasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will estimate the number of persons presently in receipt of National Assistance supplement to National Insurance benefits who will fail to qualify for supplement when benefits and scales are adjusted in April.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterAbout 30,000.
§ Mr. RossDoes the right hon. Gentleman not appreciate that these people will be subjected to the clumsy and, to his Ministry, costly procedure of applying for a refund? Cannot he think of a way of simplifying matters in respect of people whom he knows will be on the borderline?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterIf some of these 30,000 should find it necessary in the near future to make application, it would seem that in a good many cases the Board, as they had recently been on its books, would have particulars about them which would obviate a great deal of work.