§ Mr. CummingsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the difference between the £8 special payments made to severely disabled war pensioners and the sum forgone as a result of the computer error on the retail prices index; and will he make a statement.
§ Mr. ScottThe £8 special payments fall short of the benefit lost by severely disabled war pensioners as a result of the error by amounts ranging from a few pounds to over £50, although cases of the latter are few in number. The position is complex and it will take some time to identify members of the high loser groups. We shall, however, be making additional compensation payments in the summer to those war and industrial disablement pensioners who have lost significantly more than £8.