HC Deb 23 April 1914 vol 61 cc1117-8W
Mr. JAMES PARKER

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the Liverpool Victoria Approved Society is issuing a printed form to claimants of sickness benefit, stating definitely that pregnancy does not come within Section 8 of the Act as a specified disease or disablement; whether he is aware that this is in contradiction to the terms of Section 110 of the Commissioners' handbook to the administration of benefits and to a statement made in this House that an employed married woman is entitled to sickness benefit under the ordinary conditions while she is incapable of work through illness resulting from pregnancy; whether it is by his instructions that the Insurance Commissioners abstain from interference when sickness benefit is denied by some approved societies to all married women insured persons rendered genuinely incapable of work by pregnancy, whilst other approved societies follow the instructions given by the Commissioners and the terms of the Act, and grant sickness benefit in all cases of approved incapacity to work, by whatsoever disablement caused; whether the Commissioners are justified in refusing redress when complaints are made to them on this score, under the pretext that it is for the societies to decide whether the evidence of incapacity is sufficient, seeing that incapacity for work in these cases not disputed, and what is at issue is merely a general misreading of the Act; whether he sanctions the action of the Commissioners in refusing to entertain such complaints unless the complainants go to the expense and trouble of a formal appeal, which is beyond their power; and whether, in any forthcoming financial assistance to the approved societies to enable them to bear the past as well as the future drain of incapacity due to pregnancy, he will take care to discriminate between societies which have fulfilled their obligations in this matter and those which have denied them?

Mr. WEDGWOOD BENN

My right hon. Friend has not seen the form referred to in the first part of the question. The conditions under which sickness benefit is payable are defined by Section 8, and the method of dealing with disputed claims by Section 67 of the National Insurance Act, 1911, and there is nothing in the answer given by my right hon. Friend, or in any statement made or action taken by the Insurance Commissioners inconsistent with the effect of these Sections. I am not aware that any approved society has refused to meet proper claims as suggested in the last part of the question.