§ Mr. BOWERMANasked the Minister of Pensions if he is aware that, contrary to paragraph 243 (2) in the Local War Pensions Committee Handbook, the finance branch have in some cases insisted that voluntary contributions by employers must be considered in assessing treatment allowances; whether it is to be understood that voluntary contributions, as distinct from contributions which are part of a contractual obligation, should be taken into consideration in such assessments; and whether he is aware that in many cases pensioners engaged on highly-paid work receive less when undergoing treatment than when at work, and are therefore severely penalised by any deduction on account of contributions by employers?
§ Major TRYONOnly payments which an employer is under obligation to make during illness are authorised to be taken into account in assessing treatment allowances. I am unable to trace any instance in which instructions to the effect suggested by the hon. Member have been given by the Ministry. Treatment allowances are based on the pension rates for total disablement, and, being in the nature of flat-rate allowances, they are no doubt in some cases below, just as in other cases they are above, the man's normal wage.