§ 53. Sir A. Baldwinasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the total sum of money which accrues to the 5W Exchequer through failure of recipients to cash vouchers issued for illness or other benefits at the date shown on the voucher; and whether he will advise the holders of these vouchers one month before the final date for encashment that failure to do so by that date will mean that the voucher is cancelled.
§ Miss PittThe total sum of money which remains undrawn from the National Insurance Fund each year through failure of National Insurance beneficiaries to cash instruments of payment within the period of six months allowed in the normal case is not known but must be very small, as cases in which such failure is brought to notice are very rare. A warning against delay in encashment is printed on each instrument of payment in the clearest of terms. I am afraid that the procedure suggested in the second half of the Question would be quite impracticable since millions of these instruments are in the hands of beneficiaries at any one time, and they are cashed at Post Offices which have no responsibility for their issue. The position is similar under the Family Allowances Scheme.