§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the hon. Member for Worcestershire (Bewdley Division) if 1100W it is the practice of old age pensions officers to regard the sum received by an applicant for an old age pension by way of Army allowance as income; if this is done only in cases of new applications for old age pensions; if the separation allowance is not taken into account in the cases of old age pensioners who were in receipt of such pensions before the War, and why the discrimination is made; and if the Treasury will favourably consider making the practice uniform in both cases by disregarding separation allowance in new claims for old age pensions?
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§ Mr. BALDWINI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury to the hon. Member for Bradford, West, on the 8th August last.
§ Mr. DORISasked upon what grounds Martin Corley, of Drunganagh, Manulla, county Mayo, has been deprived of the increase of his old age pension unanimously granted to him by the Castlebar Pension Sub-committee; and why there have been similar refusals in the case of James Keany and his wife Anne Keany, of Ballintubber, county Mayo, who were awarded increases by the Castlebar Pension Committee?
§ Mr. DUKEThe applications of Martin Corley and James and Anne Keany were refused on the ground that their means, including their old age pensions, exceeded the amounts fixed for the award of the additional allowances.
§ Mr. DORISasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland (1) why the Local Government Board have reversed the unanimous decision of the Castlebar (No. 1) Sub-pension Committee granting an additional allowance of 2s. 6d. per week each to Richard Staunton and his wife, Elizabeth Staunton, old age pensioners, of Castlebar; is he aware that the sub-committee were satisfied that these old people had no income whatever except their old-age pensions; and will he say how this decision of the Board has been arrived at, in view of the fact that this question of additional pension grants is one for the discretion of the local pensions committee; and (2) why the Local Government Board for Ireland have reversed the decision of the Castlebar (No. 1) Sub-pension Committee granting an additional allowance of 2s. 6d. per week each to Richard Staunton and his wife, Elizabeth Staunton, old age pensioners, of Castlebar, county Mayo; if he is aware that the sub-committee were satisfied that these old people had no income or means whatever except their old age pensions; and whether, seeing that the question whether such additional grant is to be made is one for the discretion of the local pension committee, he will have this case investigated by a Local Government inspector?
§ Mr. DUKEThe applications referred to were disallowed on the ground that the joint means of Richard Staunton and his wife exceeded 19s. 6d. a week. Their old age pension amounts to 10s. a week, and the husband is a stonecutter whose1102W earnings are estimated at 10s. a week. If the pension officer considers the estimate too low he must refer the matter to the Local Government Board. The Board having given their decision, the matter cannot be reopened.