Mr. TYSON WILSONasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been drawn to the case of an old age pension claimant named Henry Stone, of Dunmow, Essex, regarding which it is reported that the claimant is 74 years of age and unable to work; that he informed the local committee that his wife, aged 49 years, had done no work since Christmas and was no longer able to retain any employment on account of continued illness, and that the Old Age Pensions Committee informed him that, as his wife should be able to work and keep him, he was not entitled to the pension, and advised him to seek parish relief; and whether he will have inquiries made into this case?
1530W
§ Mr. BALDWINMy attention had not been previously called to this case, but I have had inquiries made, and I am informed that, on Stone exercising his right of appeal to the Minister of Health under the Old Age Pensions Acts, he has been granted a pension to date from the 28th November last. I understand that the calculation of Stone's means for Old Age Pension purposes presented special difficulties and that the disallowance of his claim by the local committee in the first instance was due to his having failed to satisfy them as to his eligibility.