§ 30. Mrs. Castleasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will now abolish the upper limit of disregards under the National Assistance Act, 1948, for all payments in respect of war and industrial disabilities.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterNo, Sir. The upper limit was raised substantially in 1959.
§ Mrs. CastleDoes not the Minister agree that these payments for industrial injury and war injury are compensation for loss of faculty and enjoyment of life and, as such, ought to be additional to ordinary social security payments such as widows' and old-age pensions? Will he, therefore, reconsider the question as a matter of justice?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterSome weight is given to that consideration in the fact that these are, as I have no doubt the hon. Lady knows, the largest of the disregards. On the other hand, the further 22 one takes this business of disregards the further one separates entitlement to assistance from the relief of need.