§ 8. Mrs. Sally Oppenheimasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will raise the income levels in respect of entitlement to age exemption, age relief and marginal age exemption.
§ Dr. GilbertAge relief was abolished on the introduction of the unified tax system. I have noted the hon. Lady's suggestion concerning age exemption and its associated marginal relief.
§ Mrs. OppenheimWill the hon. Gentleman ask his right hon. Friend to bear in mind, when he frames his Budget, that the majority of pensioners have small additional earnings, pension or savings income, and unless he intends to extend age exemptions, as the Conservative Government did, a good deal of any intending pension increase will go in tax, and that this is the cause of great bitterness among pensioners?
§ Dr. GilbertOf course we are all agreed on the need to do whatever is necessary to help pensioners. However, pensioners who qualify for either age exemption or marginal relief constitute a minority of the total body of pensioners, many of whom are dependent upon supplementary benefits to their income.