§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Social Services whether, in view of the fact that many retired persons are receiving graduated pensions of a few pence per week and that it is costing his Department more in postage, time and effort than the amount of the pensions being paid, he will bring forward proposals to economise on the payment of such small pensions.
§ Mr. PrenticeIt is not the practice of the Department of Health and Social Security to pay pensions of less than 50p a week at weekly intervals. In the past they have been paid four-weekly by order book, but this method of payment is in process of being changed to a single payment by girocheque every quarter. The search for economy in the payment of benefits is one of the matters considered by the small team of officials which has been examining the arrangements for paying social security benefits, in consultation with Sir Derek Rayner.