§ Mr. RAPERasked the Prime Minister whether he will consider the advisability of amending the Old Age Pensions Act to ensure that benefits from a friendly society or other provident organisation shall not be taken into account when calculating the income of a claimant for the old age pension, in order that thrift shall be encouraged among lime working classes?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThis question has been under consideration by the Departmental Committee on Old Age Pensions, and I am unable to anticipate their report.
§ Mr. G. THORNEasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will, as for the previous year, furnish a statement up to the end of March in this year, comprising the following particulars: the total number of old age pensions in force; the numbers at 5s., 1s., 3s., 2s., and 1s.; the number of pensioners of whose death notice has reached pension officers; the number of paupers over seventy years of age in England, Scotland, and Wales in institutions, with an average cost per head per annum; and the number of paupers over severity years of age in receipt of outdoor relief, with an average cost per head per annum; men and women separately in each case?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe total number of pensions actually payable on the last. Friday in March, 1919, was 920,198, of which
- 855,274 were at the 5s rate
- 20,224 were at the 4s. rate
- 24,482 were at the 3s. rate
- 12,566 were at the 2s. rate
- 7,652 were at the 1s. rate
Of the above total of 920,198 pensioners 911,706 were in receipt of an additional allowance of 2s. 6d. a week in addition to the old age pension.
The number of pensioners of whose deaths notice reached the pensions officers in the year ended the 31st March, 1919, was 105,746.
1136WAs regards the fourth and fifth parts of the question, the latest figures available for England and Wales are those for 28th December, 1918. On that date the number of persons over seventy years of age who were in receipt of Poor Law relief was as follows:
In England (excluding Monmouthshire)—
Men. Women. Totals, In receipt of relief in institutions. 18,704 16,333 35,037 In receipt of outdoor relief 2,523 3,637 6,160 Totals 21,227 19,970 41,197 In Wales (with Monmoutshire)—
In receipt of relief n institutions 832 430 1,220 In receipt of outdoor relief 286 504 796 Totals 1,118 934 2,052 No figures are available as to the cost of the Poor Law relief given to these persons.
Information with regard to Scotland is not yet available, but I will communicate the figures to the hon. Member as soon as possible.