§ Mr. CROOKSasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the income earned by a wife is taken into account in considering the claim of the 599W husband to the old age pension; if so, how much of the income is taken into account; whether he is aware that claimants for the old age pension experience difficulty in ascertaining the reason for their claims being disallowed; and whether he will give instructions that in all cases the reason for disallowing the claim shall be stated?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. For Old Age Pension purposes the means of a person who is one of a married couple living together in the same house must be taken at one-half of the combined means of the couple. As regards the latter part of the question, I am not aware that any such difficulty as is suggested is experienced by claimants. In every case in which a local pension committee are not satisfied that a claimant is entitled to the maximum rate of pension they afford him an opportunity of appearing personally before them, before deciding on the claim; and if the claim is finally disallowed, the reason for disallowance is stated in the notice of the committee's decision. If the right hon. Member will furnish me with the name and address of any particular claimant that he has in mind, I shall be happy to have inquiries made.