§ Mr. A. GREENWOODasked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware of the inconvenience and hardship caused to disabled men in Lancashire and other parts of the country after undergoing a course of treatment by having to wait weeks before payment of pension is resumed at the local post offices; and whether he has considered the alternative of authorising local pensions area officers to supplement pension up to the appropriate rate of allowance during treatment, and thereby effect a considerable economy of time and labour in repeated references to and from the issue office?
§ Major TRYONIt is found on examination of actual files that in 40 per cent of the cases in the Lancashire area the pensioners draw payment at the post office after one payment of pension by the area office, and that in nearly all the other cases only two payments by the area office are necessary. Greater delays than this are rare and are due to exceptional causes; while on the other hand in some cases no payment by the area office occurs. The alternative method of payment of treatment allowances suggested in the second part of the question has already been considered on more than one occasion, but it has not so far been found practicable consistently with the interests of the pensioners.