HC Deb 27 February 1961 vol 635 cc1177-9
12. Mr. Eden

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he is aware that the burdens of amputation and limb wearing increase substantially with age; and what further change he will make in the scale of war pensions and allowances to take account of this.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

All limbless pensioners will benefit from the improvements in war pensions and allowances to take effect in April. In addition, as my hon. Friend is aware, elderly limbless pensioners are among those of the severely war disabled who benefit from the age allowance which I introduced in 1957; the number of these allowances in payment has now reached 69,000.

Mr. Eden

Is my right hon. Friend aware that it still appears that the qualifying age of 65 is too high and that many of the First World War limbless pensioners are not able to survive to that age? In view of the serious hardship which is caused to elderly people as a result of these war injuries, will not my right hon. Friend consider introducing some kind of increased assessment with advancing age rather than fix a qualifying age?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

The view which my hon. Friend has expressed that the effect of disablement grows with age is. when one applies the Royal Warrant test of comparison with a fit man of the same age, one on which medical opinion is far from being unanimous. I am, however, more concerned with the purely practical step, which the age allowance represented, of making additional provision for those who, being at the age of 65 and above, clearly are for every human reason entitled to particular and special consideration.

13. Mr. Eden

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what steps he has taken to ensure that all war disability pensioners receive the improved pensions and allowances to which they are entitled.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

As soon as practicable after the new rates of pension come into force, I propose to send to all war Disablement pensioners individually a new leaflet giving up-to-date information about the improved pensions and allowances. This leaflet, as previous leaflets have done, will remind pensioners that if they feel that they may possibly be entitled to higher pensions or additional allowances, or need help of any kind, they should let us know. In addition, there is continuous consideration of individual cases with the help of my department's welfare officers, of war pensions committees, voluntary bodies, and. if I may be allowed gratefully to add, hon. Members.

Mr. Eden

Whilst I appreciate what my right hon. Friend has said and am grateful for it, may I ask whether he does not recall that past experience has shown that a considerable number of cases have not been receiving the full assessment to which they were entitled until the matter has been brought to the attention of the Ministry? Can my right hon. Friend instruct his Department to hold a regular review of all these cases to ensure that as they become entitled to increased assessments they get what they are entitled to get without having to draw the attention of the Department to it?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

My hon. Friend cannot really base the view that a substantial number of pensioners are not getting their entitlement merely on the fact that sympathetic consideration and the doctrine of the benefit of the doubt often enable me to increase assessments or make awards where they have been refused. It does not follow from that. I am at least as anxious as is my hon. Friend to ensure that every pensioner gets what we would all wish him to have, and I shall continue to administer the Department on that basis.

Mr. Prentice

Will the Minister take special steps to draw the attention of pensioners to the supplementary allowances, and particularly the allowance for lowered standard of occupation? This is a complicated allowance and the numbers receiving it are a very small percentage of the whole. Does not the Minister agree that many pensioners would qualify for this allowance but do not know about it?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

I agree with the hon. Member that it is probably the most complicated in the whole of the Royal Warrant. I will certainly bear in mind what he said in framing the new leaflet which I announced.