§ Major BARNSTONasked the President of the Local Government Board whether, in view of the shortage of labour, he will consider the possibility of giving permission for old age pensioners to earn during the War anything they can, so that they may not, as they are at present, be prevented working half the week for fear of losing their pensions?
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§ Mr. BALDWINI regret that I cannot hold out any hope of any further extension of the present concessions to old age pensioners. In so far as the concessions relate to pensioners who are wage-earners, they are fully explained in my reply to the right hon. Member for Woolwich on the 17th April last. Under those concessions action is not in general being taken for reduction or revocation of existing old age pensions in consequence of the pensioners earning increased wages during the War, so long as their wages and other means taken together do not exceed 30s. a week. The concessions are only applicable to the old age pensions; they do not apply to the additional allowances of 2s. 6d. a week which the Government are paying during the War to those pensioners whose means as estimated under the Old Age Pensions Acts do not exceed the statutory limits for a pension.