§ Mr. HINDSasked the President of the Local Government Board whether instructions have been issued to pensions officers to the effect that in assessing the income which a claimant for an old age pension possesses account is to be taken of the value of any board and lodging which such claimant receives from any other person, including the children of the claimant; and whether he will consider the cases of claimants who can only be granted a small pension because such items are taken into account, and cases in which hard-working sons are and have been for years main- 1740W taining their parents and who, when the time comes, are penalised by instructing old age pension officers to omit such items?
§ Mr. BALDWINIn estimating the means of a claimant for old age pension purposes the yearly value of any benefit enjoyed by the claimant in the way of free board and lodging must be taken into account in accordance with Section 2 (1) (d) of the Old Age Pensions Act, 1911. This is a statutory requirement, and I cannot authorise any departure from it.
§ Mr. HINDSasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that, in consequence of an old age pensioner not being allowed to augment the old age pension over and above 7s. 6d. per week in addition to the pension, the country is deprived of the services of a number of able-bodied men, especially in the form of farm labourers who, if the law allowed, would willingly take work and well earn their money as farm hands; and whether he will consider the advisability of this provision being suspended during the War?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe hon. Member is, I think, under a misapprehension. Old age pensioners are not deprived of their pensions if they resume work, provided that their wages do not exceed 20s. a week in rural districts or 30s. a week in urban districts, and that they have no appreciable means in addition to their earnings. This concession is fully set out in White Paper 8320.