§ Mr. RILEYasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will have inquiries made into the case of Mrs. Mary Fox, old age pensioner, of Dewsbury, who applied for a pension on attaining the age of 70 years in June, 1919, made several applications subsequent to that date, but did not receive a pension until August, 1921; and whether, as the delay was due to the failure of the proper authorities to forward her birth certificate, it is possible for Mrs. Fox to be paid arrears for the period from the date of the first application until the pension was granted, nearly two years?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSMrs. Fox made three claims to an old age pension. The first two were disallowed because there was no evidence that she had attained the age of 70. The third was allowed on the strength of a certificate of baptism then produced by her for the first time. In accordance with the provisions of Section 6 (1) of the Old Age Pensions Act, 1919, payment was made as from the first Friday following the date of receipt of the claim, namely, 9th September, 1921. There is no power to pay pension in respect of any period before that date. As regards the alleged failure of the proper authorities to forward Mrs. Fox's birth certificate, I would point out that although it is for the claimant to establish her title to a pension, assistance is given to claimants by search of registers of birth. Such search was made in the case of Mrs. Fox, but no trace of an entry of her birth could be found.