§ 22. Commander Courtneyasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if she will arrange for retirement pensioners to receive the cash to which they are entitled in respect of the odd days between the date of qualification and the date of first payment of their pension at the same time as this first payment is made.
§ Mr. PentlandMy right hon. Friend sees no reason to change the present rule. Provided that title to pension has been determined before payment falls due, as it normally is, every pensioner should receive a full week's pension within a week of his retirement regardless of the day of the week on which he retires.
§ Commander CourtneyThat is not the point. Would not the hon. Gentleman agree that it is rather unfair that a pensioner qualifying on a certain date, namely, his or her birthday, should be deprived of a pension from that day until the first day comes for payment? Is not this a simple accounting measure, and will the hon. Gentleman do something about it?
§ Mr. PentlandThe present policy of paying retirement pensions in advance on a fixed date goes back nearly 40 years, to the beginning of the contributory pension scheme, and the retirement pension is payable from the first pension pay day on or after the date on which a person has been accepted as retired from regular employment. For all those now retiring the pension day is on Monday.