Lord Chelwoodasked Her Majesty's Government:
By how much the £8 payment being made to severely disabled war pensioners falls short of the compensation they should receive; and why this has not yet been rectified.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Lord Skelmersdale)The £8 payment being made to severely disabled war pensioners falls short of the benefit they would have received over the two-year period from April 1987 to April 1989, had the error in the retail price index not occurred, by amounts which range from a few pounds to over £50. Very small numbers of war pensioners come into the higher range. The position is complex and it will take time to identify categories of loss. That is why we plan to pay additional compensation in the summer.