§ Mr. ÖpikTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans his Department has to change the rules covering disregard relating to war pensions, whereby only the first £10 of a war pension is disregarded when other benefits are calculated; and if he will make a statement. [94452]
§ Mr. BayleyThe mandatory disregards for War Disablement and War Widows Pensions that already exist in the income-related benefits recognise the special nature of these pensions, and ensure that the pensioners receive preferential treatment. For example, a war pensioner can have between £10 and £181 a week of his pension disregarded on a statutory basis.
A full disregard of War Disablement and War Widows Pension in the income related benefits would cost in the region of an additional £160 million a year.