CONTRIBUTORY PENSIONS ACT.

HC Deb 29 November 1926 vol 200 cc847-9W

Mr. LAWSON

asked the Minister of Health whether a person 86 years of age, and insured until a few weeks ago for unemployment benefit but, owing to his age, uninsured for National Health Insurance purposes, is treated as entitled to an old age pension without being subject to the means test?

Sir K. WOOD

The answer is in the negative, the Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, requiring, as a condition of the waiving of the means test in the case of a man, that he should have been insured under the National Health Insurance scheme when he attained the age of 70.

Mr. LAWSON

asked the Minister of Health the number of persons who have been granted old age pensions under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act up to and including September, 1926?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

The number of persons in England, Wales and Scotland who were granted old age pensions by virtue of the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, up to and including 30th September, 1926, is 96,619.

Mr. LAWSON

asked the Minister of Health the number of applications for pensions under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, the number granted, and the number declined, up to and including September, 1926?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

Up to and including the 30th September, 1926, the figures are as follow:

	Number of applications.	Number awarded.	Number rejected.
Widows Pensions	209,685	161,309	44,930
Orphans Pensions	15,375	11,123*	3,433
Old Age Pensions	156,638	96,619	13,880
* The number of orphan children included in these awards is 14,420.

Mr. LAWSON

asked the Minister of Health the number of widows and orphans, under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, who were in that position before 1926 and are receiving pensions under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act; and the number who have been granted pensions this year under the same Act?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

Pensions have been awarded to, or in respect of, 130,998 widows and 13,840 orphans of insured persons who died before the commencement of the Act and to, or in respect of, 39,374 widows and 1,310 orphans of insured persons who died after the commencement of the Act.