Mr. ROBINSONasked the Minister of Health if his attention has been drawn to the number of men who lose sick or disablement benefit for from one to six days before receiving the old age pension 1232W on the first Thursday following their reaching the age of 65; and if he will make Regulations providing that sick or disablement benefit shall be payable for a period not exceeding six days after a person reaches the age of 65 providing that the old age pension has not been received?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINAs regards the first part of the question, the effect of Section 28 (3) of the Contributory Pensions Act is that there may be an interval amounting in the extreme case to six days between the last day for which sickness or disablement benefit was payable and the first day for which pension is payable. I cannot adopt the suggestion contained in the second part of the question, which could not be effected by Regulations but would require legislation. I would point out that, while sickness and disablement benefits are paid in arrear, pensions are paid in advance, so that, provided he takes advantage of the opportunity of claiming his pension some time before his 65th birthday, the sick insured person normally should not be without a payment in any one week.