§ 119. Mr. R. Harrisasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will now consider reducing the age at which war pensioners, who are 40 per cent. to 100 per cent. disabled, can qualify for the ageing allowance, from 65 to 62 years of age.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterNo. As I said in reply to a number of Questions on 3rd and 10th December last, I think it is better to concentrate the resources available for this allowance on the older of the more seriously disabled war pensioners, and I think 65, which is also the age at which many people become eligible to retire from full-time work, is the appropriate age for this purpose.
§ 125. Mr. P. Wellsasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will give an estimate of additional cost if war-disabled pensioners, with a 25 per cent. disability, or more, were made eligible to qualify for the ageing allowance.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe Answer depends on the rate at which it was paid. At the present lowest rate of 5s., the figure would be approximately £380,000.