§ Mr. Michael McNair-Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why retirement pensioners cannot opt to have their pensions paid into their hank accounts; and what thought his Department have given to introducing such a service.
§ Mr. OrmeEntitlement to retirement pension is subject to certain continuing conditions and, before each payment is made, pensioners have to confirm that these conditions are satisfied. This would cause difficulty if payment were to be made direct into a bank account instead of to the pensioner. However, the possibility of introducing alternative methods of paying pensions is being looked at.