HC Deb 11 October 1945 vol 414 cc440-1W
Major Boyd-Carpenter

asked the Minister of Pensions whether, in view of the present high cost of living, any increase in the rates of pension paid to injured ex-Servicemen is under consideration by him.

Mr. Wilfred Paling

As the cost of living index figure to-day is still below that on which the current rates of disablement pension were based it does not afford ground for increasing those rates, but I have under review the scheme of war pensions generally.

Squadron-Leader Hollis

asked the Minister of Pensions what are the conditions under which pensions are paid to the parents of soldiers killed on active service where the parents had previously been in receipt of allowances from those soldiers.

Mr. Paling

The conditions under which pensions are paid to parents of soldiers killed in action were fully explained in an answer given by my predecessor, of which I am sending a copy to the hon. Member. Broadly the basis of award is need generously interpreted, and it is not a necessary condition in the case of an unmarried son that he must have contributed to his parent's support during service. In assessing need account is always taken of actual or potential support and this operates in the parent's favor.

Mr. McAdam

asked the Minister of Pensions if he intends introducing legislation to provide pensions for widows whose unmarried sons or daughters lost their lives while serving in the Armed Forces of the Crown.

Mr. Paling

This class of case is already covered by the provision made for parents in the War Pensions instruments. Any widowed mother of a deceased Service man or woman whose death was due to service may be eligible for a pension if she is in need and, in fact, many thousand widowed mothers are in receipt of parent's pension.