Captain COOTEasked the Postmaster-General whether it has been the practice of his Department to stop the pensions of retired Post Office servants if for some reason, e.g., during the War, they have been temporarily re-employed; if so, why this is done by his Department, and not by the War Office and other Departments; and whether he is aware that so-called over-payments, i.e., excess of wages during temporary re-employment over the rate of pension, are now being recouped out of the increases granted under the Pensions Increase Act, 1920?
§ Mr. PEASEUnder the provisions of the Superannuation Acts, a pensioned civil servant who is re-employed under the Crown cannot receive more in pay and pension taken together than the amount he was receiving at the date of his retirement. Retired Post Office servants, in common with all retired civil servants, come within the scope of these provisions if they are re-employed under the Crown. In a few cases over-payment of pensions has occurred in consequence of pensioners failing to report on their pension forms the fact of their re-employment under the Crown; and these overpayments are being recovered from increases granted under the Pensions (Increase) Act.